Life as We Know It
by AleahLondon1987
Summary: After the strange set of events that brought them together, Nick Wilde is convinced that nothing can tear apart his life and family again. But when villainous Bellwether teams up for revenge with a figure he had thought was long gone, all hell is going to break loose in Zootopia. And Nick will be left with an impossible choice. JudyxNick, OC's. T for violence and suggestive themes.
1. Chapter 1

**Author's note: So I have received, yet again, so much encouragement and excitement from all of you, and I will always appreciate it. This is the sequel to my first fic Operation: Cadence, and be forewarned that the first two chapters are going to be huge jumps in time span (Just so you're not confused by the context of both). As always, I do not own the characters created by Disney for Zootopia, only the ones that I have made as OC's. Thank you all so much for your support and without further ado, I give you Life as We Know It.**

 **Enjoy!**

 **Sincerely,**

 **AleahLondon1987**

 **Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

Along a stretch of pristine sidewalk through the Arbor Dictrict of Zootopia hustled a pair of rabbits, still very adolescent, the large pads of their feet kicking up any and every form of debris. It was mid-day and the bright sun beat down on them brutally as they hurried to slip on their best clothes, the male rabbit having particular trouble with his bowtie.

"Come _on,_ Johnny! The ceremony's gonna start in a half hour!" The female bunny chastised her brother.

"Yeah well _you_ try putting on a pair of dress pants while running!" He snapped back. The girl just rolled her eyes as they rounded the corner and caught sight of their destination.

The enormous music hall nestled in the heart of the shining city was grandeur to say the least, and had a few stragglers standing outside. The pair quickly made their way over, shoving open the doors and scanning the area for their parents. Once spotting them they rushed over. The couple, a middle-aged pair of rabbits, looked in surprise to see two of their many offspring in such a disheveled state.

"We made it!" The girl exclaimed, panting heavily. The female bunny looked to her husband.

"Stu, I thought we counted 275 before we left….."

"I thought for sure we got you guys. Sorry about that, youngins." Stu said, patting Johnny on the head. Bonnie took a hold of her daughter's shoulders, but not before being bumped into by a much dolled up ocelot.

"Oh I am _so_ sorry, Mr. and Mrs. Hopps!" The ocelot babbled as she continued her way towards the back, fixing the bodice of her royal blue dress. Upon reaching the doors she pushed them aside, walking along the narrow hallway until reaching the very last door on the left.

Greeted by laughter, she opened the mahogany door to a pair of female mammals, one a vixen and the other a rabbit, tweaking each other's looks gently while having a hushed conversation. They stopped as soon as they heard the door.

"Oooohhhhhhh!" The ocelot squealed, covering her muzzle with her paws as she gazed at the two of them. "You guys look so _beautiful!_ " The vixen shook her head, smiling at her.

"Liv, calm down. It's just a dress." She said, picking up the skirt ever so slightly and flopping it back onto the ground. The vixen wore a lace-embossed, cap-sleeved dress, exposing her shoulders with lace edging the neckline. The rabbit wore a sweetheart strapless A-line dress that complimented her curves in such a way like it was made for her.

"I will _not_ calm down! This is the biggest day of your guys' lives!" Olivia exclaimed, throwing her arms out dramatically and throwing herself against the doorframe. The vixen giggled, feeling a bit of heat rise to her face in bashfulness at how blunt her friend was being.

"I have to agree with her. This _is_ a big day…..for both of us." The rabbit cut in, giving a small nod. The vixen leaned towards her slightly.

"Don't encourage her, Judy." Lucy whispered through clenched teeth, which produced a giggle from the prey.

"Oooohhhhh let me look at ya!" Olivia said, rushing over to the two and checking every last detail. After a few moments, her eyes widened in horror. "Where's your veil?" At this Lucy just rolled her eyes and chuckled again.

"Don't worry, Liv. They're over there. We aren't going to put them on until we go out there." She said. Olivia put a hand over her chest and breathed a sigh of relief. There was another creak of the door, and a small otter poked her head in.

"Hey you guys have got fifteen minutes." Allie said, but she nary got the last word out before her eyes widened and she stepped inside a little more. "Wow, you guys look beautiful."

"We've heard." Lucy said sarcastically, eyeing Olivia. The ocelot squealed again, throwing her arms around Allie.

"Oh Allie, look at our little fox! Getting married to her best friend!" Olivia said dreamily before wiping a mock tear from her eye. "They grow up so fast."

"Alright you two, get out of here!" Lucy said, trying to stifle the laugh that was threatening to escape her throat. The ocelot and otter merely moved over to the restroom adjacent to the room to check the status of their own dresses and fur. Shaking her head, Lucy turned back to the mirror as she stood on the small stool.

"Friends. What to do with 'em." She mumbled before turning her gaze to her rabbit companion for the day. The two had agreed to a double wedding from jump, becoming engaged only days from one another. They were both very happy with their decisions and wanted it with all of their hearts, but as Lucy continued to watch Judy intently, she saw a flicker of what she had also been feeling since they got up that morning.

"Hey." She said softly, causing the rabbit to turn her gaze towards the beautiful vixen. "It's going to be okay." Judy sighed.

"I know I want this Lucy, but…I'm scared." Judy admitted, her gaze lowering to the ground. She felt a pair of arms wrap around her that felt eerily like her husband-to-be's, were it not for the slightly larger curve to the chest against her head. She smiled, hugging Lucy's arm back. The vixen gazed at the rabbit through the mirror in front of them, a warm and loving smile spread across her muzzle.

"We'll get through it together. I promise." Lucy said softly, and Judy smiled again. Just then, the door opened again, and this time Stu was the one to peek his head. The middle-aged rabbit's eyes widened for a split second at the sight of the two lovely brides, but quickly extended a paw as he spoke.

"Heey Jude the dude! Are you ready?" He asked. Judy looked to Lucy again, and the vixen held up one finger. Rushing over to the hatstand in the corner of the room, she turned Judy about and pinned the small rhinestone headband around the small dome of her head, fluffing out the veil before giving her one last reassuring hug. Judy felt Lucy's muzzle lean into her left ear.

"I'm so glad to call you my sister." Lucy whispered, and Judy felt like crying right then and there. She also noticed how Lucy had said 'sister', not 'in-law' or 'lawful sister'. Just 'sister.' Pulling away Judy took Lucy's paw for a moment to give it a light squeeze, snatching up her bouquet before following her dad out the door to line up. Lucy watched them exit, then turned towards the mirror once more. Her dress glowed in the afternoon sunlight that poured through the small windows on either side of her, and for a moment she thought about the situation at hand.

Was she really doing this? Getting married? Of course she was definitely old enough for it, coming up on her 33rd birthday with her twin brother. She had always envisioned getting married as a kit but now with the scene in front of her like a romantic movie she felt herself being even more amazed that she had made it to this point. Judy and her both had been with their respective significant others for a while now (both as couples and not), though she was sure that some would object. However, none of that mattered as she grabbed her own veil.

Just as she was about to place it around her head, Olivia reappeared.

"Hey girl, you haven't gone out yet?" She asked. Lucy shook her head.

"No I…wanted to make sure everything was alright before I did."

Olivia watched her best friend's face, and saw a hint of sadness hidden behind her emerald eyes. The ocelot took a few more steps forward, gently taking the flower crown veil out of Lucy's paws. The vixen looked up at her.

"Hey." Olivia said softly, which was rare of the medium-sized predator to do. "You know he would have been here if he could have."

"I know, I just…..wish he was here. Either one of them…." Lucy said, but Olivia placed the veil on Lucy's head, allowing the lace-trimmed hem to fall back gently. She hugged her from behind.

"They would have been so proud of you." She said reassuringly, when they heard the door creak open again. This time a rather small but stout fox came in.

"Yo you got three minutes, Lu." The small fox announced and Lucy nodded.

"Thanks. I'll be out shortly." She said, and the fennec fox gave a curt nod before exiting again. Olivia turned to look at Lucy again, her eyebrows raised in surprise.

"Who was _that_?" She inquired. Lucy arched one brow in confusion.

"Uhhhh one of my brother's groomsmen. His name is Finnick." Lucy explained, but saw a small stir of something behind the ocelot's amber eyes. She narrowed her eyes playfully and smirked. "…..why?"

Olivia just smiled, giving another quick raise of her eyebrows and a click of her tongue. Realizing why she was so interested in the smaller fox, Lucy scoffed.

"Olivia Renee Patterson!" She said, laughing as she said the ocelot's full name. Lucy gave her a playful shove, and Olivia threw her paws up and shrugged.

"Whaaaaat? You _know_ I have a thing for short guys, and he was _cute!_ " Olivia bubbled excitedly, and Lucy just continued to laugh, covering her eyes with her paw and shaking her head.

"Liv, what am I going to do with you?" She asked in mock frustration. Olivia smiled, skipping over to the door and swinging it open for the bride.

"Worry about _that_ later. Right now, we've got a wedding to put on. And I know _exactly_ what I'm doing at the reception!" Olivia rambled, winking at Lucy before disappearing around the bend. She scoffed, shaking her head again before grabbing her own bouquet and emerging from the changing room.

Rounding the corner, she saw the wedding procession lining up behind the doors to the auditorium of the music hall, getting ready to make a round outside before heading into the wedding ceremony through the front doors.

First was the bridesmaid/groomsmen pairs, which consisted of two of Judy's many sisters, Olivia and Allie for the bridesmaids with two of Will's brothers, Finnick, and Clawhauser for the groomsmen. It was quite a sight seeing wolves standing next to rabbits, an ocelot standing next to a fennec fox, and a cheetah standing next to an otter. It almost made the vixen giggle.

Then came Judy, who had her paw daintily wrapped around the crook of her father's arm. The young rabbit glanced back, flashing Lucy a bright smile that still seemed a little nervous. Lucy returned the smile before bringing up the rear of the procession. Stu turned to her.

"Aren't you having _some_ body walk you down the aisle, Lucy?" He asked, looking somewhat concerned. Lucy shook her head, but before she could reply a deep, strong voice responded.

"I think that's where _I_ come in."

The source of the voice was a very tall, muscular timber wolf, though his gray streaks along the almost ebony hue of his pelt slightly gave away his age. He was wearing a sharply tailored black suit, a gray silk tie attached to it. Lucy gasped.

"Mr. Dawson…I didn't think you'd be coming…." Lucy said. The wolf chuckled.

"Now Lucy, do you really think I'd let my future daughter-in-law walk alone on her wedding to my son?" He asked. Lucy gently shook her head before the wolf extended his hooked arm.

"And please. Call me Joe." He said. Lucy nodded before slipping her paw into the elbow of his arm, and Judy smiled at the both of them before turning about. The music started to play, and the wedding procession started.

The wedding party heard the loud yammering of the hundreds of mammals seated in the music hall almost dwindle to nothing as the bridesmaids and groomsmen began their walk into the large auditorium. The couples had determined that the best place to have it was in a large building, trying to keep in mind the hundreds of relatives on Judy's side who would want to be present. The two brides and their respective escorts stood patiently, watching each pair of their wedding party disappear behind the large oak doorframe. They could all see some of the stragglers sitting in the back, which were entirely made up of Judy's older cousins and siblings.

Judy watched as Finnick took Olivia's paw gingerly and gracefully guided her forward. Judy smiled. _Who knew conmen made such gentlemanly escorts?_ She thought to herself. The small fox had since tried to find some honest work, but always found himself going back to hustling. Nick still found the fennec to be his closest thing to a friend he had ever had, so it was natural for him to ask Finnick to be his best man.

As the last two, Allie and Clawhauser, took their first steps forward through the doorway, Judy tensed up. She was next, and her mind reeled in anxiety. This was it. The moment she had been dreaming of for the past year. She was finally _actually_ getting married to her best friend, her lover. Her soulmate.

"Just breathe, Judy. You'll do fine." Stu whispered reassuringly, clenching his arm slightly in a supportive squeeze.

"Any last thoughts before we head in?" Judy muttered back. The middle-aged rabbit sighed.

"You know Judy, if you would have told me 26 years ago when we saw you for the first time that I would be waiting outside with you waiting to bring you to a red fox to marry him, I would have said you were totally bonkers." He explained. Judy frowned slightly. Stu gave a soft smile. "But after everything he has done for you, I wouldn't want you with anyone else. He deserves you, my little cottontail." He said affectionately. Judy leaned over to kiss his cheek.

"Thanks, Dad." She whispered, and suddenly the signature melody of "Here Comes the Bride" began to bellow from the organ inside, and Judy's heart skipped a beat. The grip she had on her father's arm tightened, and Stu pulled the veil over her face before taking the first step for her.

Gently gliding along with her father Judy entered the massive music hall, where mammals of all shapes and sizes were standing and turned back to ogle at her in mystified amazement. She felt a slight heat rise to her face as she looked to everyone around her.

The entire left side of the auditorium was her family; all of her siblings, their children, and her cousins, aunts, and uncles. They took up almost every single seat, and the younger group of bunnies chattered amongst themselves at how beautiful their relative looked. Looking to the right, Judy spied the entire ZPD department (save a few who stayed behind for emergency calls). They all gawked at her as well, whispering amongst themselves with feverish smiles spread across their muzzles. Even hard-hearted Chief Bogo, dressed in a signature tux, looked somewhat happy for one of his best officers, giving her a curt nod. She mirrored it before looking to the very front of the auditorium, where the altar glowed underneath the stage lights. She saw her mother seated in the very front on the left, dressed in her best white tea dress. She smiled lovingly at her daughter, looking as if she was about to cry. Judy smiled at her, turning her gaze back to the altar. And then she saw him.

Standing perfectly straight with his paws clasped in front of him respectfully, Nicholas P. Wilde gazed at her with the best expression out of all of them. His emerald eyes studied her intently, and Judy felt her heart start to take vigorous strides against her sternum. Dressed in a sharply tailored suit, Nick looked like a million bucks, with the small spurt of lime green from his bowtie adding flare. His expression was of absolute love and adoration, and as she approached the altar Stu stopped, allowing Judy to turn to him one last time. Proceeding to lift the veil back again, Stu looked like he was on the verge of tears himself as he gave a watery smile.

"My lovely Judith Maria Hopps." He mumbled more to himself than to her, and he leaned in to give her a kiss on the cheek. Locking eyes with her, he smiled again. "Go to him."

Judy obeyed without hesitation, gracefully gliding over and slipping her paw into Nick's extended one. The male fox smiled at his bride.

"You look absolutely ravishing, Miss Hopps." Nick mumbled softly, taking both of Judy's paws in his. Judy gave a breathless giggle.

"Too bad you can't call me _that_ for much longer." She reminded him. Nick shrugged, giving a signature smirk.

"There's always Carrots, Cottontail." He responded with a double-wammy nickname, and Judy just shook her head playfully. They heard the song continue to play, and both of them turned to watch the other bride enter.

Lucy started down the aisle a little more confidently than Judy, taking in all of the eyes on her with feverish excitement. Even through her veil she looked to the right to observe, seated behind the ZPD officers, much of Will's family. His other four brothers, his one sister, and Mrs. Dawson, who ogled at Lucy in such a way that the vixen looked down bashfully for a split second. She definitely saw where Will had gotten his cobalt blue eyes, the middle-aged female wolf's eyes sparkling like sapphires as tears formed in her eyes. She quickly dabbed at them with a hanky. Lucy turned her gaze to the altar and smiled widely at the sight of her husband to be.

Will stood in a just-as-sharp suit that fit his large frame perfectly, a royal blue bowtie blossoming from his neck. He looked very tall and proud, but his facial expression was quite the opposite. His tail twitched ever so slightly in anxiety as he stood transfixed on his beautiful vixen bride.

For a moment she looked to her twin brother, who watched her as well with almost as much revered amazement. She smiled at him as well, and he winked in response. She brought a paw to her muzzle for a split second to stifle a bashful giggle.

Upon reaching the altar, Joe turned Lucy to him and gently lifted the veil with his two index fingers, and gazed down proudly at the vixen.

"You look absolutely beautiful, Lucy. Will chose a fine mammal for his mate." Joe stated gently, and at the word 'mate' Lucy blushed heavily. The enormous middle-aged wolf leaned down and kissed the dome of Lucy's head before allowing her to turn and walk over to the young timber wolf. As with Judy and Nick, Will extended a paw to her and she took it. Upon stepping up to this level, Will leaned in to whisper to her.

"Well I didn't think it was entirely possible but….you have managed to look more beautiful than I have ever seen you." The male wolf said tenderly, and Lucy felt her heart begin to race for the first time since entering the room. She giggled nervously.

"I-I'll never understand how you think of me so highly." She responded. At this Will took both of her paws in his, completely engulfing them in warmth.

"You never have to. Just let me love you today and every day, Lucille Daphne Wilde." He said gently. Lucy blushed even heavier, but before she could stammer out another lame reply the mammal between the two couples, a middle-aged otter, began. Turns out the Ottertons had not forgotten them entirely and Emmitt insisted on officiating their wedding. Nick and Judy accepted without hesitation.

"Dearly beloved we are gathered here today….." The two couples turned ever so slightly towards the otter and listened in as the vows began.

 **xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

"I do." Judy and Lucy's feminine voices collided beautifully as they sealed their forever promises to their respective grooms. Both fox and wolf gazed on them in excitement, as they knew what was to transpire next.

"….then by the power vested in me, I pronounce both couples husband and wife." Emmitt looked up from the manuscript, giving a warm smile to them. "You may kiss your bride."

Upon hearing that neither two mammals wasted no time, and as both pairs of lips locked passionately there was an uproar in the entire music hall of whoops, hollers, and claps. There was even a howl or two from Will's family, and the organ began to play again as the two newlywed couples clasped paws, starting to exit the building.

Outside, they were greeted by the entire ZPD lined on either side of the sidewalk, their chests puffed out proudly in an honorable salute. Judy and Nick looked to Chief Bogo, who had organized the sendoff. He also gave them a salute, and suddenly there was a small pitter-patter of something against both brides' dresses. Judy looked around in confusion before realizing that her sisters were throwing sunflower seeds, and she just shook her head as they giggled and continued to pelt them as they proceeded towards the vehicle.

Once inside the limo (Will had allowed everyone to go before him to spare them the agony of watching a timber wolf try to squeeze into a vehicle), they settle inside in a fit of laughter. The entire floor of the back of the vehicle was covered by either Lucy or Judy's dress, puffing out and revealing the frilled crinolines that both female mammals had on underneath.

"I think a sunflower seed went down my bodice." Lucy announced, giggling feverishly as she peeked downward.

"Oh trust me, they get _every_ where." Judy replied, pulling a few from inside her own chest.

"Well at least that gives Will and I something to _find_ later." Nick remarked suggestively, giving a wink to Judy. The rabbit scoffed and punched him in the arm.

"Dumb fox." She snapped.

"Pretty bunny." He replied effortlessly. Judy blushed at this, and Lucy giggled.

"You two are already going back and forth like a married couple!" Will pointed out.

"Eh, I think we've always done this. Even before the notion of marriage was even a spark of thought in our minds." Judy explained. Lucy sighed, leaning back against the seat as the vehicle began to move out from the building. They all looked to see the extent of their wedding group waving to them as they sped away, but they knew it wasn't goodbye. They would soon see them all again at the reception.

 **Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

As they reached their destination, lanterns hung from the thick vines like glowing fireflies, lighting up the path towards the glass building they had reserved for the reception.

Lucy and Will exited first, but seeing as the ground was wet and muddy Will took quick action and lifted the vixen up into his arms to avoid the hem of the dress getting dirty. She gave a small squeal.

"I think you're supposed to carry me across the threshold a little later, Will." Lucy reminded him. The timber wolf chuckled.

"Take this as a practice round." He replied.

Judy and Nick exited after, taking in the humid and warm rainforest air. The canopy drooped above them, heavy with the recent rainfall. Judy began to bunch up the skirt in her paws as the wet ground seeped through the pads of her feet. Noticing what Will had done, Nick decided to follow suit. Again this produced a squeal from the bride, though she said nothing but instead reminisced in the feeling of his arms under her. Looking around she saw swirls of subtle colors amongst the vivid green, the river nearby sparkling in the impeding sun. It was a few hours until sunset, but already the sky was changing hues. Judy sighed, leaning her cheek against Nick's.

"We picked an awesome spot." She mumbled. Nick gave a breathless chuckle.

"Indeed we did, Carrot Top."

Once inside, the roar of laughter and conversation flooded their eardrums, and without any hesitation both couples entered the hall to another round of deafening applause. And this, the wedding reception was in full swing.

 **Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

As many couples (mostly Judy's relatives) shimmied across the dancefloor to the infectious beat that thumped out of the speakers in the corners, there were quite a few mammals sitting down and watching the scene with entertainment.

The decorations accented the room beautifully, with flashes of royal blue and emerald green spread evenly throughout. There was an extensive buffet, which had been paid for partially by Judy's parents and partially by the ZPD. Guests flurried to and from every which direction. The party was still feverishly going on after two and a half hours, and almost all the traditional dances had already run their course, including the first dance for both newlywed couples. As you may have guessed, both couples were absolutely smitten with one another throughout the entire dance, with playful jabs at each other and what they would do on their honeymoon thrown in there as well.

The cake-cutting moments had been captured by any and every cell phone present, and Judy felt that there was still icing stuck in her fur, though Nick reassured her at least twice that all of it was gone.

However the two brides and grooms currently stood idly by and watched everything play out in a dream-like stupor, amazed that everything had turned out so beautiful. Judy eyed Clawhauser over on the very end of the buffet, snatching up a few-too-many cupcakes and quickly guzzling them.

"It's an absolute wonder that that cheetah isn't diabetic yet." She remarked, and Nick just shook his head and chuckled, resting an arm around his bride and pulling her in close. Lucy giggled at the comment, but also laid eyes on a scene that made her shake her head in playful embarrassment.

Olivia was seated by Finnick, chatting the poor little fox's ear off about anything and everything. However to Lucy's amazement the small fox had not the slightest hint of irritation in his expression, but rather listened to her intently. Nick had followed to where she was looking to.

"And just _what_ does that ocelot think she's doing?" Nick remarked. Lucy giggled.

"She's got a crush. Leave her alone." She defended her predator friend. Nick shrugged.

"I think that there will be another wedding before too long." Judy added, and Lucy giggled while Nick flicked away the thought with a wave of his paw. However Lucy almost jumped three feet in the air as she felt an unfamiliar paw rest on her shoulder, though by the sheer size of it she could almost guess who it was.

"Lucy, you look absolutely _gorgeous._ Congratulations! And welcome to the family!" Mrs. Dawson bubbled, hugging the vixen as close to her as possible before turning to her son and cupping either side of his face.

"Oh Joe, look at our boy. All grown up and _married!_ Oh what am I going to _do_ with myself?" She rambled dramatically, hugging him so that he wouldn't see the tears beginning to fall down her muzzle. Joe cleared his throat.

"Calm down, Laura. I'm starting to wonder what you'll be like when the rest of our pups get hitched." He pointed out. Mrs. Dawson ignored the remark as she dabbed at her eyes again.

"You all grow up entirely too fast." She said, looking to both Lucy and Will along with Judy and Nick, who were listening in from a few feet away. "And you all will understand if you have pups someday. You just want to hold them forever!"

At the mention of little ones all four mammals blushed heavily, having not even thought of the notion yet. Lucy giggled nervously at the idea. They had just gotten married! She wanted some time to herself with her handsome husband if anything. Equally as shocked, Nick pushed away the thought of having kits with Judy, though he knew that somewhere deep he wanted it. Just not now.

Before the awkward atmosphere became too much, they heard the DJ come over the microphone.

"Aaaalright you crazy mammals, it's time for the traditional father-daughter dance." He announced, and Judy quickly looked around for her own father. She spotted him, and gave Nick's paw a light squeeze before running off. Meanwhile, Lucy turned nervously towards Mister Dawson, but before the older wolf could speak, Lucy heard a voice from behind cut in.

"If you don't mind, Mr. Dawson, I'll take Lucy out for a spin this time." Nick said gracefully, taking his sister's paw tenderly. The wolf nodded.

"But of course."

Lucy looked at her brother in shock as he led her towards the now-cleared dancefloor. He placed a careful paw on her side as he guided her along. The two vulpes-vulpes just looked at one another happily for a few moments.

"Well, I didn't expect this at all." Lucy remarked finally. Nick smiled.

"What, a mammal can't dance with his twin sister?" He asked softly, giving her a twirl before catching her in his grip again.

"Well no, but I thought your mind would be occupied…..elsewhere." Lucy explained, her gaze shifting to behind Nick, where Judy and Stu waltzed in perfect time. Nick followed her gaze for a moment, then looked back as his eyelids drooped and he smirked with a small chuckle in his throat.

"Relax, Foxy. I'll have plenty of time to focus my attention on Mrs. Wilde later on." Nick remarked suggestively again, and Lucy shook her head in playful frustration, though she found herself blushing at the formal address of Nick's new wife. After about a minute or two of silence with the two red foxes swaying perfectly to the rhythm of the slow song, Lucy spoke up again.

"So….we're both married now…..what's next?" Lucy asked. Nick shook his head.

"I don't know….and quite frankly, I don't care." He said, giving her one last twirl and bringing her back up to lock eyes with him as the song was coming to the last verse.

"Because I have everything that I've ever wanted."

Lucy smiled gently, bring her brother into a hug as the applause from the crowd rose. Suddenly they heard a very different sound pitter-pattering above them, and as everyone looked to the ceiling they found that another rainfall had commenced in the dense forest. However, the light from the lanterns gave the water a beautiful glow as it glided off of the glass roof and down the sides like liquidized crystal.

The four mammals bunched closer together as they watched the famous and beautiful rainfall pour down from the Heavens.

"This has been such a perfect day." Judy said softly, and she felt a paw slip around hers. She looked to see that Nick had shifted spots to move closer to her.

"Indeed it has been, Carrots." He said softly. Judy blushed, having heard the nickname a thousand times but this one….sounded and felt different.

As the couples continued to look onward, Nick thought of how his life had fallen into place so well over the past few years. Once a con-man living off of bamboozling honest mammals, he felt as if he had made a complete 180. Now he was a highly respected cop at the ZPD, married to his best friend and partner, and he had reunited with his twin sister. He looked to all of them with a feverish gratitude, and the singular thought that played through his mind summed up everything he had felt about today.

 _How could anything possibly go wrong now?_

 **Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

 **And so ends the first chapter to my story! I sure hope you enjoyed my idea of what I think Judy and Nick's wedding would have been like. Please tell me what you thought and please stayed tuned for the next addition!**

 **Most sincere thanks,**

 **AleahLondon1987**


	2. Chapter 2

The darkened room would have been somewhat peaceful looking in the impending blue-ish glow of the rising sun over the horizon had it not been for the absolute catastrophic mess that littered every surface. Clothes were strewn everywhere, with everything from panties to dress shirts cast upon the wooden floor and dresser like a makeshift laundry line. Deep within the pure white cotton sheets piled high on the king-bed, a form stirred underneath. It groaned, and gradually a pair of large triangular ears peeked out, followed by a head and neck, until the mammal occupying the space was half-exposed to the stuffy, warm air of the bedroom.

The mammal, a vixen, smacked her mouth a couple of times while giving her side a good scratch. She looked about the room, realizing the horrendous state it was in. She smiled, remembering what had transpired the night before. Flipping away the covers she exposed her entirely naked form as she stood up to stretch. Grabbing the nearest silk robe she exited the room and was immediately enveloped in the smell of breakfast.

Gliding down the hallway to the stairs, she bounced all the way down and made a sharp left, coming upon a scene of her dreams.

Standing at the large, granite-top island stirring about some eggs was her handsome timber wolf of a husband, who upon hearing her footsteps perked his ears and eyes in her direction.

"Well good morning, sleeping beauty." He stated, giving the pancakes another flip. The vixen giggled.

"And just _what_ do you think you're doing, Mr. Dawson?" She joked. The male wolf smirked.

"I figured you would like to enjoy some breakfast to gain some energy back." He replied smartly, and Lucy blushed. However, she wasn't about to just leave it at that.

"Isn't that what sleep is for?" She retorted. Will let the utensils he was holding clank against the table surface.

"Look do you want these eggs or not, Miss Persnickety? I will gladly eat them all by myself." Will snapped, only being half serious. Lucy giggled and snatched up a plate, sliding in next to him and scooping some of them up.

"Don't mind if I do, though I wouldn't flatter myself too much. We both know you don't like breakfast food." She reminded him. Will looked down on his wife with a newfound mischief, though she barely noticed it as she began to shovel her first bite onto her fork.

"No but I know what I _do_ like." He murmured, and Lucy jumped slightly at the feeling of his tail brushing up against her sensually. She chuckled bashfully, allowing her forkful of eggs to fall back onto the plate while looking back at him with a half-lidded gaze.

"You know that trick won't work _every time,_ right?" She pointed out. Will chuckled.

"Well it's certainly worth a shot." He mumbled, starting to put his paws around her and pulling her up against him. Lucy looked up at him with one eyebrow highly arched, a smirk spreading across her face.

"Nice try, hot stuff. But I've got class at 8:30." She said softly, kissing the tip of his nose and scampering away. Before completely disappearing around the corner she called back to him "Thanks for breakfast, hon!"

Will just smiled and shook his head. One thing was for sure. Lucy Dawson kept him on his toes.

About two months after they had gotten married, Lucy decided to further her career by doing what she did best: teach and play music. She was currently a student teacher at Zootopia West Elementary (there was entirely too many mammals in the city to have just one elementary school) and she had come to love what she did with the kids. Her graduation for her Associate's Degree was set for this coming summer.

 **Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

"I'm not going to tell you again. _Get on the GROUND._ " The rabbit cop's feminine tone edged on deadly as she had her glock aimed squarely at the perpetrator's form. The mammal, a rather scrappy looking weasel, shook uncontrollably as his eye twitched madly. Definitely signs of a drug intake.

"Y-y-yo police lady, I ain't do nothin'. Why you do me like dis?" He said in a heavy accent of some sort, though Judy wasn't letting up on him as her partner searched his belongings. The moment she had looked his way, the weasel took off.

" _ **HEY!**_ " Judy yelled, sprinting after him. It wasn't long before she caught up with him and tackled him to the ground, his long body squirming violently in her grasp. Judy grunted, struggling to pin him down.

"Officer Wilde!" She finally yelled in defeat as she continued to fight him on the ground. The red fox wasted no time in running over and tackling the perp as well, giving Judy a moment to breath. The rabbit's small lungs heaved for air as she gave a groan. Running her paw along the smooth dome of her head, she glanced at the clock tower nearby. Almost nine in the morning. They had been out on patrol for almost four hours.

Slinging the perp into the back of the police cruiser, the red fox climbed into the main cabin again.

"Well that takes care of _that._ " Looking to his partner, he frowned. She sat hunched over the seat, her head cradled in her propped up paws.

"That migraine's got you bad, huh?" He inquired. Judy groaned, peeking at him through her fingers.

"Yup." was her short reply. Giving a sigh she straightened up and took another swig of her water bottle. "Nick, I think I need to take a bit of a rest. Do you mind driving?"

"No problem, Officer Wilde." Nick replied smartly, and the two switched seats before driving back to the ZPD. They were not very far away but Nick decided to let his partner do as she wanted. As his eyes turned back to the road in front of him, he glanced at his gold wedding band, which shone brightly in the early morning sunlight against the steering wheel. A small smile spread across his muzzle. Taking one paw off the wheel, he reached over and took Judy's left one tenderly. The rabbit's eyes shot open.

"Nick, what are you doing? You know the rules. We have to keep it professional." She reminded him irritably. Nick nodded.

"I know. But I'm still your hubby, Carrots." He replied, and Judy gave a weak smile to that before giving his paw a squeeze. The fox pulled away after that, pulling into the police cruiser garage.

 **Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

"I take it this is the suspect for the drug ring we've been looking for?" Chief Bogo's gruff tone stated.

"Indeed it is, sir." Judy confirmed. The large buffalo nodded.

"Good. Now go get m-" The chief started to say, but a loud cry that had come from the front doors made them all reel around in surprise. A snow leopard was sobbing profusely as Officers Saebra and Wolfsbane guided her through the department towards the witness waiting room. Saebra mumbled something to the leopard, then allowed Wolfsbane to continue taking her back as she split off towards them.

"Saebra, what's going on?" Judy asked the lioness. She sighed.

"Not entirely sure on all the details yet, Hopps. Wife called in saying her husband was suddenly having convulsions and foaming at the mouth, which would seem pretty simple. Rabies, right?" She said rhetorically. They nodded, and she sighed. "It _would_ have been that easy had the husband not started crawling around on all fours the moment we got there."

The mention of the all-fours part made Judy's brain snap back to the Night Howler incident.

"Did his eyes look any different?" She asked, trying to think of all the symptoms that had shown from the predators affected by the flower.

"I know what you're thinking, Hopps, and we authorized the medical team to give him a dose of Night Howler antidote. It did nothing." Saebra shot down her theory quickly. To avoid confusion in the workplace, Judy had decided to keep her maiden name for everyone who wasn't Nick in the department.

"Hm. Weird." She stated, looking to the ground in thought. Saebra scoffed.

"Weird indeed. If you don't mind Chief, the wife asked us to keep her here overnight. She's pretty paranoid." The lioness remarked, and though the buffalo gave a short groan, he nodded.

"Do what you have to."

Turning away, the lioness continued on her way. Nick turned back to Bogo.

"Is that the first case of that happening?" He questioned.

"As far as we know, yes. However. I have a different assignment for the lot of you two." He tapped at his phone a few times, bringing up his notes. "There was a distress call from the south side of the city, a zebra asking for help in quieting up some delinquents who are defacing his property. Find them and bring them to justice." He slipped them a small piece of paper with the address, name, and description of the caller.

"You got it, Chief." Judy saluted him. Nick grabbed the paper and started walking out.

"Well _you_ seem to have perked up a bit over that exchange." He pointed out. Judy rolled her eyes.

" _Psssh_ whatever. I just want this day to be over with already."

 **Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

Little paws and feet pattered everywhere in a scramble to snap up the best guitar out of all the ones propped up nicely in the racks. The teacher, a middle-aged cheetah, watched them with a smitten smile on her face.

"Now everyone, don't fight. Just grab a guitar and sit down. Mrs. Dawson will be around to check them." She said, and the vixen began her trek across the room, glancing at everyone's guitars to make sure that all of the strings were intact with no chips in the wood. One particular little one, a wolf pup, spoke up as she passed.

"You look pretty today, Missus Dawson." He rambled in his high-pitched nine year old voice. Lucy chuckled.

"Why thank you, Lawrence. I like your sweater vest." She said. The wolf pup huffed, looking down in disgust at the royal blue vest.

"My mom and pop made me wear this since it's cold out. I hate it." He grumbled. Lucy chuckled again as another voice piped up, this time a little hippo calf.

"I looove your turtleneck! Is that your _favorite_?" She asked as Lucy looked at her guitar. Lucy hummed her confirmation.

"Indeed it is, Darla." She said, glancing down for a moment at her lavender sweater that paired nicely with her faded blue jeans she had chosen for that day. She also had in her pair of amethyst earrings. On her way back up, she nodded to Mrs. Festah. The cheetah smiled, picking up her own guitar.

"Alright class, time for our chord of the day!" She said, and lifting a small piece of paper away from the easel, a large letter G was etched in black marker. "G chord!"

As the youngsters fiddled around and struggled to get their small paws on the strings, both Mrs. Festah and Lucy walked around and helped as much as they could, though a few of them were still having trouble by the time all was said and done.

"Okay everybody, time to move to our new song!" Mrs. Festah said cheerfully, and as it was revealed and the meddled sound of constant strumming filled the room, Lucy also picked along. She watched the group of little ones try their hardest to play along with the two adult mammals, and she loved them for it. They may not have been the best, but Lucy knew that they were already twice the musicians that they were at the start of the year.

However Lucy suddenly felt a small twinge of discomfort in her core as she continued to play, finding it awfully strange. She took a sip of her water bottle, and the feeling dwindled almost immediately. Lucy smiled, starting to sing along with Mrs. Festah.

 **Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

Once they had finished that call (which had taken an entirety of six hours considering the caller claimed that the delinquents showed up in the morning when in reality, it was late afternoon/early evening) Nick and Judy were ordered by Chief Bogo to go home and get some rest. The two were more than happy to oblige, and soon met up outside after changing.

"Ugh, that had to be the longest disturbance call _ever._ " Judy groaned. Nick chuckled, putting an arm around his wife.

"Well I do believe we can call Gazelle Book of World Records to enter it as such." Nick joked. Ignoring his jab Judy sighed.

"Oh well. Time to relax." They started walking in the direction of the suburbs.

The predator/prey couple had recently bought their first home together, proud to have finally saved enough to do so. Their ZPD paychecks were just enough to get them by, and now they did not have the burden of finding a nice place to live anymore.

Upon entering the ranch-style home, Judy cast down her keys and police vest onto the coffee table, which happened to be the only table they had in the house right now. Though the home was everything they had ever wanted, Nick and Judy were still 'in-progress' with most things that belonged in a home.

"Shall I order takeout again, or do you have something else in mind?" Nick asked, and Judy groaned once more.

"That reminds me! We should have stopped by the market on the way home! We're in charge of desserts tomorrow night!" She exclaimed.

Every Friday night Judy and Nick had dinner with Lucy and Will, a tradition they had started from the first Friday back from their respective honeymoons. The hosts and meal duties varied with each week, but due to the current state of the Wilde's home, the Dawsons insisted on being the hosts until they had everything that they needed. After much objection, the predator/prey couple finally caved. Of course there were times where they couldn't make it, or Lucy had some loose ends to tie up in preparation for the end of her schooling. Regardless it had become a norm for both couples.

"I'm sure Lucy can live without your blueberry pie for once." Nick remarked sarcastically. His twin had just as much a taste for blueberries as himself, which both Judy and Will claimed as genetics. Judy shook her head.

"I just hate not backing up my promises." She stated sternly. Nick walked up behind his wife, beginning to give her shoulders a firm rub.

"Calm down, Carrot Top. It's not like they're strangers. It's Lucy and Will." He reminded her. Judy nodded. Nick sauntered back over to the hallway that led back to their bedroom, slipping off his shirt and completely exposing his torso and chest.

"Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to go lay down for a while. You can join me if you like, Cottontail." He said, giving a small wink. Judy blushed at this and the red fox disappeared around the corner.

 _Married almost two years and he_ _ **still**_ _makes me feel like a teenager in heat._ Judy thought to herself, not wanting to go back just yet for she knew what would happen if she did. Nick and her love life had not died down in the slightest since they first confessed their love almost three years ago, and it showed both in public and private.

Glancing at the calendar, she followed the weeks until landing on today's date. January 19th. Perhaps it was the fact that she never really paid attention to the calendar anymore, but her eyebrows furrowed in deep thought. The word JANUARY was highlighted and underlined in red, signifying some type of reminder.

 _January….what's so significant about January …?_ She thought, trying to remember what was important about the beginning month of the year as she started back to the bedroom to join her husband.

 **xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

Lucy stood at the front doors of Zootopia West Elementary and watched the little ones flood through, running to their parents in waiting vehicles or buses parked on the far end of the lot. She had her arms tightly crossed across her chest, trying to conserve as much heat as possible against the frigid air. Mrs. Festah came up beside her.

"You'll catch a cold standing here like that, Miss Lucy!" The middle-aged cheetah exclaimed. Lucy looked back to all the youngsters. She watched Darla run up to her grandma, giving her a hug and then starting to walk back into downtown.

"I just want to make sure that they get where they need to go. They need to be safe." The vixen explained, and Mrs. Festah chuckled.

"Well I must say, you will make a fine teacher someday with that attitude. And a mother, for that matter." She remarked in praise. At the mention of the word mother Lucy's ears perked up and her eyes widened. Mrs. Festah laughed again as she saw the wholesome look of surprise across the red fox's face.

"Just stating facts, my dear. Now you scurry on home before you become a popsicle!" She said, waving her out the door. Gathering her coat and purse that she had set on a bench nearby, Lucy did just that.

Once inside her vehicle, Lucy speed-dialed Will, listening to it ring just a few times before the timber wolf picked up.

"Hey, what's up?"

"Hey I'll be home soon, but I'm going to stop by the market for a few things for tomorrow night, okay?" Lucy explained, turning the key in the ignition to start the car.

"Okay, Lu. See you when you get here." Will complied effortlessly.

"Love you. Bye." Lucy said, giving a small kiss to the speaker of the phone before hanging up. She gave a long sigh, and gripped the steering wheel firmly as she began to drive away.

 **Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

Sprawled across the bed with the TV flipped on, Judy was snuggled right up to Nick's side as he continued to flip through, trying to find something worthwhile to watch.

"Ugh do they play _anything_ other than reality TV on this thing?" He mumbled. Judy giggled.

"Even if they did, you'd complain about _that._ " She pointed out.

"You're probably right, Cottontail." Nick conferred. Judy looked to him in surprise.

"You're actually admitting I'm _right?_ " She asked. Nick chuckled.

"Don't get used to it." He warned, giving her a sideways kiss on the forehead. Judy shook her head, hopping up out of the bed.

"Be right back. I'm gonna grab some popcorn." She explained, exiting the room. Nick watched her go, keeping a particular eye on her little fluffy tail that peeked out from under the large t-shirt she was wearing (and happened to be the only thing she was wearing). He gave a small wolf whistle and smiled, turning back to the television. How had he gotten so lucky as to get the _only_ attractive rabbit he had ever seen? Averting his eyes from the screen for a moment again, he spied one of the many picture frames Judy had of her family, though you could barely fit so many mammals into one frame.

He chuckled, picking Judy out almost immediately as she was towards the center, right to the left of her father. She was about twenty years old in this picture. Nick thought about the fact that Judy had not changed much physically over the past eight years since the photo had been taken. He was glad. Nick heard the familiar tone of a news bulletin come on over the TV, and he looked over to watch the snow leopard and moose deliver the nightly news. However, the first headline made his ears pin back and his eyes widen in shock.

Judy was walking back into the room with a bowl in hand, chattering about something.

"I just really think that we ought to-….." She paused, seeing the shock-stricken expression on the male fox's face, and her gaze went to the TV as well. She dropped the popcorn bowl, every last kernel flying everywhere across the rug. Nick looked to her.

"Bellwether's made parole."

 **Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

 **Uh oh. This can't be good for our dynamic duo! Sorry for taking a while to update! Next chapter soon!**

 **Thanks,**

 **AleahLondon1987**


	3. Chapter 3

Upon reaching the ZPD the next morning, Judy and Nick wasted no time in trying to locate Chief Bogo, though the task seemed somewhat challenging at first considering the large buffalo was nowhere in sight.

Up, down, and side-to-side the dynamic police duo wove through their comrades, glancing around feverishly. Clawhauser, who was exiting the break room, began to say something to them but they barely stopped to even acknowledge it. Upon reaching the open door to Bogo's office, they stopped abruptly, observing their boss talking to a new recruit.

"Chief Bogo!" She yelled. The buffalo stopped speaking for a moment, looking at the two of them through the small half-glasses that he had perched on the tip of his nose. With a groan he mumbled something to the recruit and he slipped out the door and down the hallway.

"What is it, you two? I have three quotas I have to meet today, so make it snappy." Bogo said rather haughtily.

"Did you hear about Bellwether's parole?" Nick blurted out, still slightly panting from running all the way to the department. Bogo's expression fell to frustration and he grumbled again, straightening out the stack of papers in his hand.

"Yes, I have. We can't do anything about it." He stated firmly. The fox and rabbit both shook their heads in disbelief.

"B-but sir! She's a direct threat to this city, to this society!"" Judy argued, throwing her paws out in emphasis.

"What's done is done, Hopps. The courts have made their decision. Bellwether will have exactly seven days of parole and if she does well enough, they will give her full parole for six months." He explained.

"That's outrageous. You're the Chief of Police, do something!" Nick said, his tone turning angry and blunt.

"I don't like it any more than you do, Wilde! But it's been decided and I can't change it. Not without the risk of losing my _job._ " Bogo snapped. After a few moments of heavy silence he collected himself again. "However. There is nothing saying that the police cannot keep an eye out. So I'm asking you to keep your ears and eyes peeled for Dawn Bellwether and anything she may decide to do. Understood?" He stated. Judy nodded firmly.

"You don't have to tell us twice, Chief." She proclaimed.

"Good. Now get on with your day. Your case files are on your desks." Bogo explained before turning back to the direction he was going. Judy and Nick looked to one another, completely baffled by the fact that the not-so-sweet sheep was once again out in the general public.

"This can't be happening." Judy remarked as her husband and she made their way back to their office, which they shared. Going in they found three case files stacked neatly on top of each other. Nick said not a word, but instead walked over to the window to look out, as if Bellwether was in his sights.

"One thing's for sure. Bellwether's going to play the system like a fiddle. There's no doubt about that." He conferred. Judy nodded.

"Yeah. But even Bellwether knows when things are in her favor and when they are not. I don't think she'll cause too much trouble these first seven days." Judy replied. Nick nodded, acknowledging his young wife's point. Judy inhaled deeply, tucking the case files under her arm and snatching up their cruiser's keys from the wall hook.

"However, when you-know-what hits the fan after that, we'll need to be ready." She declared. Nick smirked.

"Aye aye, Captain Wilde." He joked, giving a sloppy salute. Judy shook her head in playful frustration. On the way out the door, she gave him a light punch on the arm.

"Goofball." She mumbled, and Nick just chuckled as the two exited the building to start their work day.

 **Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

 _Hhhiiiissssssssssshhhhhhhhh!_

The flush and gurgle of the receding water within the toilet accompanied the sound of Lucy's slightly elevated breathing. The vixen sat hunched over the porcelain device, watching the liquid swirl and swish.

In her paw she held a small plastic instrument, and glanced down at it nervously. The sound of a pounding on the door made her jump.

"Hey Lu, you okay? You've been in there for over an hour." Will's concerned, deep voice radiated through the wooden door like it was nothing. Lucy shook her head, squeezing her eyes shut.

"Yeah, I'm fine….just some bad dinner from last night….." She replied, which wasn't entirely a lie. She had been upchucking every last morsel she had consumed within the last twenty four hours and had found, to her disdain, that only water could be retained in her now hyper-sensitive stomach. She had called Mrs. Festah to let her know her current health status, and the cheetah reassured her that one sick slip will not hurt the vixen's quota for graduating. So with much anticipation Lucy took the day off.

"Okay, well I'll be preparing dinner for tonight then if you need me." Will stated, and Lucy heard his heavy footsteps start to recede down the hall. She sighed, flicking the small plastic instrument in her paw once again before staring down onto it. Her heart did enormous backflips.

Two bright pink lines.

Lucy placed the test right next to the other three, which all had the same fluorescent pink lines facing up along with the words _two weeks_ highlighted beside them. Leaning back against the opposite wall of the toilet, she released an enormous sigh again. She felt her core twist in knots, and with a tender paw she touched the curve of her abdomen. For the first time since she had seen the first set of results, she accepted the reality of what the tests had continually proven.

It's not that Will and she didn't want a family, but they had never thought they were compatible in such a way. Having already been through two red fox mating seasons, Lucy had determined that they were indeed infertile, and had dropped the idea of having kits with her husband long ago. Now, with such a notion thrust back into her field of thought, she began to ponder on how she would even begin to tell him. Or Nick and Judy. Or anyone for that matter. News of that nature usually wasn't taken lightly, and she could only imagine what everyone would have to say.

She stood up slowly, grasping at the bathroom counter's edge for stability. Lucy knew that she had to tell Will sooner or later, since he was undoubtedly the father. She wasn't about to keep such a monumental thing to herself. Snatching up all four tests, she shoved them in her back pocket.

Opening the door, she began the short trek down the hallway to the stairs and glided down them with ease. Upon reaching the kitchen her stride slowed, and she anxiously observed the timber wolf stir up some vegetable for the stir fry he was making. Glancing upwards, Will smiled.

"Heeeey _there's_ my foxy angel of a wife." He said lovingly. Lucy smiled awkwardly.

"Heeeey Will." She replied. Will noticed the odd tone to her voice, and this time lifted his gaze to hers, his eyebrows knotting in slight concern again.

"You okay, Lu? You haven't been yourself all day." He pointed out, putting the lid on the vegetables and wiping off his large paws with a nearby rag. Lucy twiddled with her fingers nervously.

"Will, I need to talk to you about something." She stated. Will put up one finger as his face lit up.

"Oh! And there's something I need to tell _you_ too!" He replied. Lucy nodded, not wanting the burden of trying to form the announcement into words just yet.

"You go first." She insisted. The timber wolf clasped his paws together.

"So. Robbie called." He began. Lucy forgot about her news temporarily, giving a playful groan at the mention of Will's younger brother's name. At this Will raised another finger, shushing her abruptly. "Sh sh sh, let me finish. Robbie called and wanted to know if I'd like to come on the Dawson Romp a little early this year."

The Dawson Romp was a get-together that Will's immediate family did every year. They would go out into the outskirts of the country and camp in the woods. They would fish, cut down lumber for his dad's small business, and just enjoy quality time together.

"Oh. Well when would _that_ be?" Lucy inquired nervously, hoping to all creation that her husband's wild brothers had not chosen the worst time ever in the history of anything to plan their little getaway.

"Around the middle of March." Will replied. Lucy screamed internally. However, her face did not mirror her internal reaction as it fell to one of disappointment.

"Oh…..well, I don't think that time is very optimal." She stated. She watched Will's face fall as well and his eyebrows knot in confusion.

"You're kidding right?" He remarked, arching a highly frustrated brow. Lucy's eyes widened, slightly in shock at Will's complete change in emotion.

"…What?" She mumbled.

"I haven't gone on the Romp for the last _two years,_ Lu. This is the first time Robbie has even _tried_ to hang out with me since we got married because he wanted to give us space! And now that I can actually _go_ you're just going to tell me _no?_ " He said angrily. Lucy's expression changed to one of equal frustration and confusion.

"Are you seriously _arguing_ with me right now?" She asked. She had to pride herself on the fact that despite the reason that the timber wolf and she had broken it off in the first place was over a dumb fight, the two had rarely swapped venom since saying their vows. Now she was completely taken aback.

"Actually yes. Over this, I am. This is a _tradition_ Lucy. For my family." Will said, but shook his head and paws in defense. "I'm not saying I haven't enjoyed the time with you the past two years….I really have but….I miss going on the Romp." He explained, and Lucy could see his expression mirror his feelings. However, she was too hung up on the fact that he had blatantly decided to disregard _her_ feelings about it, not to mention the amount of hormones raging through her in her current state.

"I'm sorry Will but….any other time would be fine _except_ for that time." She replied.

"Why? _Why_ is it not acceptable? What could _possibly_ be going on that I can't spend time with my family?" Will asked viciously. With no reply from Lucy for several seconds he scoffed. "If you aren't going to tell me why, I'm still going. I don't think I really asked for your opinion in the first place _anyways._ " Lucy just shook her head.

"Will….you…you just can't…." She mumbled.

"Yes I _ca-"_

"I'M PREGNANT!"

The room fell still.

The male timber wolf's expression slowly fell to one of absolutely shock, and he gazed at his wife in a newfound light at what exactly she had been implying the entire conversation. Lucy could feel tears beginning to sting the corners of her eyes.

"I'm pregnant _._ " She repeated in a whisper. Upon not seeing Will move an inch she sighed, sitting down at one of the many stools of the island. She rested her head in her paws, staring down at the polished granite of the tabletop in silence. Her ear twitched slightly in the direction of Will's shift in movement, and she could feel his massive body move closer to her. She spied his paw about a foot away from her, resting on the cool top as well.

"Well um…..I guess that's what you wanted to tell me, huh?" He asked, releasing a small, pained chuckle along with his question. However, when Lucy did not move or acknowledge him, he moved in closer.

"How far along?" was his next inquiry. The vixen turned her head slightly, still resting it in her paws.

"Two weeks." She answered.

"Are you sure?" He asked. At this Lucy yanked the tests from her back pocket, casting them across the granite countertop. Will looked to them in shock, connecting the dots in his head as to what she had been doing in the bathroom all through early afternoon. He looked to his wife in absolutely remorseful pity, and with a gentle touch he placed a paw on her back.

"Hey." He whispered, and Lucy only slightly turned her ear towards him. He sighed, and pulled her into a hug. After a few moments the vixen shifted her entire body on the stool so that she was in a full-fledged embrace with him. The married couple stayed like this for several moments before Will pulled away, stroking Lucy's cheek with his thumb.

"I'm sorry you had to tell me that way. I'm sure you had something else planned." He mumbled. Lucy shook her head.

"No, not really. I just knew that I wanted to tell you before too long." She replied, looking to the ground for moment. "Question is…" Her gaze lifted back up to his. "….how do you feel about it?"

"How do I feel about it?" Will repeated in an amazed tone. Just by this Lucy knew where this was headed. "How do _I_ feel about it? How do I feel about the fact that my wife, the only mammal I have ever thought the _universe_ of is having _my pups?_ " He said, picking her up and swinging her about. Lucy squealed, and before both of them knew the solemn vibe to their conversation melted away into one of joy and playfulness.

"Will!" Lucy screamed playfully, trying to contain her laughter. Just as sudden as he had picked her up, he placed her back on the ground with both of them standing now, Lucy's paws rested on Will's lower chest/stomach.

"…..I'm _ecstatic._ " He whispered, kissing the top of her head. Lucy blushed.

"I…..I am too." Lucy said, acknowledging the forming feeling in her heart on the matter. Will chuckled softly before giving a gasp.

"Oh crap….how are you going to tell Nick and Judy?" He reminded her, looking absolutely panicked now. Lucy cringed, twiddling with her thumbs again.

"I was thinking tonight….at dinner…..it's as good a time as any." She stated.

"And then there's _my_ family….oh, Robbie will understand….he will _definitely_ understand this one." He said excitedly, more to himself than to Lucy. The vixen giggled.

"Yes, I'm sure they will. But babe?" She said, coming closer. Will smiled down on her.

"Yes?" He replied. Leaning down, he went to go kiss his wife when suddenly her muzzle diverted to his ear.

"Your veggies are burning." She whispered.

"Oh _snap!_ " He yelped, rushing back over to the stovetop and quickly removing the lid of the pan to a completely charred mass of what used to be delicious vegetables. The smoke alarm started to blare, and Lucy giggled as she watched her husband wave a dishcloth over the device frantically. As soon as the machine stopped screeching he cringed, scraping up the remains of what dinner was and into the trash bin.

"Looks like dinner will be a little late." He said jokingly.

"Indeed!" Lucy said in between giggles as she sauntered over to help him prepare the second round of food.

 **Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

By the time the evening rolled around the rain was beginning to cascade to the sidewalks and roofs in an absolute downpour. Wiping off their paws as best they could on the semi-dry doormat, Nick shook off the excess water on the umbrella as well as Judy pressed the doorbell.

A few moments they heard a shuffle of lighter footsteps, and knew exactly who had come to their call. The door swung open. The feminine face and figure of Nick's twin sister appeared with a beaming grin across her muzzle and she quickly opened the screen door as well.

"Hey! Hurry up and get inside before you get drenched!" She called, gesturing them inside. Once both of them entered Lucy snatched both of them into a hug.

"Hi guys. So glad you both could make it this week!" She gushed. The rabbit and fox hugged her back simultaneously.

"Lu, relax. It's only been two weeks." Nick reminded her. Lucy pulled away, clasping her paws together.

"Well it sure has _seemed_ like a long time." She remarked before walking back into the kitchen. The couple exchanged a look as they both were skeptical of the vixen's slightly more bubbly welcome than usual.

"Come on in! Dinner's going to be a little late tonight." Lucy called from the kitchen and explained as the duo made their way back. Taking a seat at two of the stools of the island, they watched the two predators scurry back and forth.

"Hey guys. Sorry for not greeting you at the door." Will acknowledged them, and Judy gave a flick of her paw and wrist.

"Don't worry about it, Will." She reassured him.

"So what have you guys been up to? Have you got any big cases yet?" Lucy inquired as she sprinkled some salt into the dish she was monitoring.

"Not really….we haven't gotten anything big since Operation: Cadence. I think crime has actually gone down in the city for the past year." Judy explained in a slightly cheery tone, trying to mask the anxiety underneath. Nick nodded, but knew what she really wanted to tell them about. The two had not exactly volunteered to Lucy or Will how the y had met, and what had brought them together as partners. They figured they would ask if they wanted to know, but deep down they both were glad they hadn't.

"Well that's a good thing, right?" Lucy conferred happily, turning the right dial of the sink to allow tap to run over her paws.

"To the city, yes. To our jobs….not so much." Nick replied. Judy gave him a hard glare, and he shrugged in defense. Lucy said nothing in response, but Will looked up.

"Well I'm sure you'll always have speeders, traffic violations, and thefts _some_ where. I don't think you guys will ever be _totally_ out of a job." He stated matter-of-factly.

"Yeah, we know." Judy agreed. Sizzling and the smell of stir fry had long since filled the room, and now with nobody saying anything it was almost deafening. Nick and Judy exchanged glances every now and again, the subject of Zootopia's most recent parolee burning on their tongues. Before either one of them could spill the beans, Lucy cast a couple of porcelain plates in front of them and beamed again.

"Well come help yourself! Dinner is served!" She announced.

After everyone had gathered what they wanted and were seated at the grand mahogany table in the dining room (a wedding gift from Will's parents), the four mammals chowed down almost immediately, and there was again heavy silence in the air. To avoid the possibility of things getting too awkward, Judy lifted her gaze up from her plate.

"This is lovely, you guys. Where did you get this recipe?" She asked.

"We kind of made it all on our own. We took a generic recipe and just added some Dawson flare to it." Will explained, giving a wink towards Lucy. The vixen batted her eyelashes bashfully for a moment.

"I guess you could say that." She conferred.

"Well regardless, kudos to you both." Nick said, tipping up his fork as if it was a glass and he was proposing a toast. Once his eyes averted back to his plate, Lucy locked eyes with Will again and raised her eyebrows. He furrowed his in confusion. She mouthed something to him, and his face lit up in recognition and nodded. Lucy's heart began to pound, and she turned back to their guests.

"So! Our anniversaries are coming up, you guys!" She proclaimed, and Judy nodded.

"Yeah! Two years! Can you believe it's been that long already?" She exclaimed. Lucy giggled nervously as Nick rolled his eyes.

"Please, Carrots. You know you could never keep away from this even if you tried." He stated, gesturing to himself and giving a wiggle of his eyebrow. Judy scoffed, giving him a playful shove while stifling a laugh. Lucy and Will laughed as well, and Judy suddenly gasped.

"We should _totally_ go someplace together! As a getaway! What do you think?" She babbled excitedly. Lucy grinned anxiously.

"Yeah, well…..Will and I already have plans as to what we will be doing on our anniversary…" She remarked, and Will nodded. Judy's expression slightly fell, and now Nick was watching his twin sister intently while noticing that she had not touched a bite of her dinner. Something was up.

"Oh! Well….what was it? Maybe we can work around it." Judy replied, looking slightly confused as to her blatant disregard of the idea. Lucy glanced at Will one last time, then began again.

"Well as you both know…..Will and I have been together for just as long as you two and…..though we didn't think it was entirely possible…." Her gaze rested straight ahead at the both of them.

"I'm pregnant." She said loud enough for the two of them to hear.

For the fourth time that day silence fell over the house, though this time was much more tense. Nick and Judy both stared at the vixen in shock, and she could almost see the announcement processing through both of their heads like clockwork. Nick tilted his head in slightly.

"Come again?" He said, still in disbelief. Lucy's shoulders slacked in defense.

"Nick, I'm pregnant." She repeated as if she was frustrated at his confusion. Nick stared at her with his expression frozen in shock. One eyebrow remained highly arched. Then finally, giving a quick glance to both Will and Judy he stood up abruptly.

"Kitchen. Now." He said firmly. Lucy got up and followed her brother, shutting the door between the rooms as Nick placed both paws on either side of his skull, turning about to face his twin.

"You're _what?_ " He asked for the third time. Lucy scoffed.

"What is so hard to _understand_ , Nick?" She chided.

"I'm sorry I just….you….and him…" The male fox said, then shook his head. "… _how?_ " Suddenly realizing how childish his confusion was Lucy smirked. She was going to have fun with this one.

"Nicholas Wilde, if you are having trouble believing that a wolf and fox can procreate, let me reassure you it is _very much_ possible." She said in a highly suggestive tone, giving a wink.

"Whoa whoa whoa, not was I was asking for!" Nick quickly cut off his sister, waving his paws about in an attempt to wipe away the images he was inadvertently creating at the thought of his twin sister in coitus. Lucy giggled.

"Nick, it's fine! Will and I are both overjoyed!" She said, taking his paw gently. Nick snatched it away, making Lucy's ears droop as her expression twisted into slight hurt at his movement. He sighed.

"Look, I'm not…..mad. Or even frustrated. I'm just….worried." He said, mumbling the last word like he was ashamed of it. Lucy gave a breathless chuckle.

"About what?" She said softly. Nick put a finger and thumb to his chin in mock thought.

"Hmmm let's think about this, shall we?" He retorted. "How tall is Will?"

"….6'3"….." Lucy answered hesitantly.

"Uh huh. And how tall are _you?_ " Nick inquired. Lucy's brow arched in irritation.

"4'1" just like you." She replied flatly.

"Are you picking up what I'm putting down here?" Nick said sharply. "The guy is almost three times your size!"

"So _what?_ " Lucy shouted, throwing her paws in the air in dramatization.

" _So_ what if the kits are too? What if you run into complications? Or can't have them correctly? What happens then, huh?" Nick said, practically shouting at this point. Lucy couldn't believe it. Her own brother, the one male besides her husband that she believed would have been the least argumentative, was fighting her every step of the way.

"Why should that _matter?_ What if they _are?_ Does that make them any less important or different than you and I?!" Lucy screeched back.

The twins froze for a moment, reminiscing in each other's anger. Both faces fell to col realization.

Nick stared at his sister. What was he _doing?_ His own flesh and blood had just told him that she was expecting, and how had he treated it? Like another police case. Full of doubt, frustration, and worry. Lucy took a few steps closer to him.

"Nick I know….you and Judy are….having trouble…" She said in an almost-whisper. Nick's eyes widened.

It was true that the predator and prey had been trying for a few months now to see if they were fertile, though to their frustration nothing had resulted from their carnal attempts. Nick had partially assumed that with it being fox mating season right now that it would heighten their chances, but nothing outside the ordinary. Judy had expressed since the moment they started dating how much she wanted kits of her own, though she constantly reassured Nick it wouldn't be the end of the world if she couldn't. Regardless, the fact that his sister knew made it all the more painful.

"…..yeah. But that has nothing to do with it, Lu. I swear." He declared, desperately trying to turn the subject of the conversation back to her. Looking at his sister's still-wounded expression, he gave a heavy sigh.

"C'mere." He mumbled, reaching out blindly and bringing his little sister into a tight hug, though he was mindful of her abdomen. Lucy hugged back. Pulling away after several moments, Nick locked eyes with her again.

"I don't mean to sound unsupportive." He said low in his throat. "I just don't want you getting hurt." Lucy took his paw again, and this time he didn't pull away.

"It's okay, Nick. Everything will be okay. Whatever happens….we'll deal with it along the way." She whispered reassuringly, and he suddenly, like a flick of a switch, believed it. He nodded ashamedly.

"Alright….Just…..one thing, Lu." He said. Lucy relaxed a little.

"What?" She replied, preparing herself for anything that would expel itself from her male counterpart's mouth.

"Uncle Nicky is out of the question." He said, a smirk creeping across his face. Lucy laughed whole-heartedly at that.

"But it's sooooo _cute,_ Nick!" She gushed, batting her eyelids like a little girl. Nick rolled his eyes.

"Get outta here!" He retorted, giving her a playful shove to the side as they re-entered the dining room. They came upon a scene they didn't expect. Will had some sort of picture album out, flipping through them and pointing out a few here and there, with Judy gazing all goo-goo eyed at him. Upon seeing them re-enter the room, the rabbit smiled.

"Oh Lucy, Will was _adorable!_ " She babbled excitedly. "You two are going to have the cutest little kits!" Lucy smiled brightly at this, slowly taking her seat next to Will once more.

"So…. _you're_ okay with it?" She asked. Judy scoffed, flicking her paw in the vixen's direction.

"I'm married to a fox, I'm close friends with a family of arctic shrews, _and_ my brother-in-law is a wolf. What do _you_ think?" She retorted with a smile. Lucy nodded before Judy was up and over, giving her a hug.

"Oooooohhh this is the best news I've heard in forever! And if you need any advice at all I'm here to help! I've aided my mom through six pregnancies in the past and-oh my gosh! Your gestation period is probably different than a rabbit's!" Judy rambled, and Lucy giggled as Will shifted his position to where he was standing next to his expecting wife.

"Well, fox gestation takes only about fifty one to fifty three days, but a timber wolf's is about two months….so I have no idea." Lucy remarked with Will's conferring nod.

"Hmmm so not _too_ much longer." Judy mumbled.

"Regardless, we're going to shoot for a month and a half." Will determined, placing a paw on Lucy's shoulders and pulling her in close to him. Lucy rested her head against his side affectionately. Nick and Judy watched them for a moment before Judy spoke once again.

"Well I think this is _definitely_ grounds for some celebration!" The rabbit bubbled excitedly, and Will nodded.

"Yup, I'll go grab the spirits." He started to walk off, but quickly stopped and turned about.

"Except you, Lucy….I don't think you should be.." Lucy cut him off with a giggle.

"I got it, Will." She reassured him, giving a gentle stroke of her belly.

Nick shook his head in amusement at the entire group's antics, and sauntered his way over to the window behind the dining room table. It projected out into the street in front of the Dawson's home, and nightfall had long since commenced. The amber glow of the streetlights cast a circular spotlight over certain parts of the pavement, and Nick's eyes narrowed. Across the street there was a parked vehicle that he had never seen in this neighborhood, much less anywhere else. The inhabitants were still inside, but before the male fox could get a good look at them and their pinprick yellow eyes they sped off, the particular streetlight ahead casting light on the logo that was etched onto the side of the van.

It looked like a predator's pawprint, but there was a swoosh of a line in the middle as if it was almost splitting it in two. There was no lettering to it, but the symbol looked ominous enough.

Nick continued to watch them speed down the street and out of sight, but before he could dwell on it too much longer he felt a small paw on his shoulder. Turning to his wife and sister, he saw the most concerned looks on their faces.

"is everything alright, Nick?" Judy asked softly. The fox shook what he had just saw from memory, (For now), and nodded.

"Never better." He replied, and Judy handed him a small glassful of alcohol. He nodded, throwing it back like it was nothing before rejoining his family to continue to talk about anything and everything.

 **xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

 **As always, thank you all so much for reading and I hope you enjoyed this installment! However, I'm afraid that is not all the surprises that are in store for our favorite police duo in this story, so please stay tuned!**

 **Sincerely,**

 **AleahLondon1987**


	4. Chapter 4

"AGH!"

The agonized groan that the mammal made as he hit the freezing, rocky muck was excruciating. Throwing himself onto his back, he ignored the massive mess that he had made of his uniform in an attempt to tussle with the perpetrator.

"Wilde, you flank us! We'll follow him through the North Tunnel!" called a determined lioness, her thick chord of a tail flicking furiously as her wolf partner kept a sharp eye out for their runaway suspect. Without so much as a sound the red fox lifted a weary thumbs-up. He shook ever so slightly at the amount of adrenaline coursing through his veins as he abruptly stood up to follow his colleagues.

Taking off at breakneck speed, he wove through and under every obstacle that he came across in the dank sewer. Though not his favorite spot in the world, he found his predatory characteristics to be quite advantageous in the receding sunlight of the very long Wednesday evening. How they had ended up in such a nasty situation was quite a whirlwind of memory, but amidst the chaos he had lost track of his own partner.

Shoving a paw against the concrete walls to hoist himself to the left he could feel all of the muck he was kicking up behind him. Not caring in the slightest, thoughts of his wife ran through his mind like a film. Every last moment they had spent together, from beginning until last night. Fear crept through his mind like a menacing tiger on the verge of pouncing. He had to find her.

Rounding the corner, he spotted a mass of navy blue and gray sprawled across the damp concrete, and his eyes widened.

"CARROTS!" He screamed as he sprinted over. The mammal lifted her head ever so slightly, her eyes groggily lifting to meet his.

"N…Nick…." She mumbled. Nick glanced upwards to see the other two officers continuing along the walkway in the direction of the suspect, and knew that for a least a few moments that they would have it under control.

"Are you okay? Where are you hurt?" He rambled worriedly, scooping up his wife gently and searching her. Judy clutched her arm and inhaled sharply through her teeth.

"He lashed out at me when I got a hold of him…" She stated, and Nick's heart sank as he saw the smallest flash of scarlet beneath her paw. Something within the predator stirred, and anger ignited like a furnace behind his eyes. Unfortunately, the rabbit officer knew her husband all too well not to notice.

"Nick, don't…..we have to be professional!" She pleaded as he quickly helped her up. He ignored her plea and started sprinting off after the suspect again. Judy threw her head back and groaned, but wasted no time in running after him.

Upon hearing shouting up ahead, the duo stopped only for a moment to soak in the scene before them. Officers Saebra and Wolfsbane had the suspect cornered, both of their glocks fully extended out in front of them as they barked orders at him in the most gracious way possible.

"Mr. Odinski _please!_ We're not going to ask you again! Get on the _ground!_ " Saebra practically begged, but as the four realized that the middle-aged badger was not showing any sign of cooperating there was a shift in movement. The badger growled viciously, crawling about on all fours with his eyes fogged over as if he was blind. His muzzle curled back in a threatening snarl, and Nick could tell by his stance what he was about to do.

Lunging at him, the red fox tackled the badger to the ground before he had a chance to pounce at Saebra, pinning him forcefully as the predator slashed at him in rage, releasing a hiss all the same.

"Not on my watch, you bastard." Nick growled through clenched teeth, digging a firm elbow into his chest. Suddenly, without warning, the badger relaxed entirely under him, passing out without Nick so much as swiping a paw at him. He looked up frantically at his partner, Saebra, and Wolfsbane.

"Wilde, what did you do?" Wolfsbane asked worriedly. Nick quickly shoved himself away from Mr. Odinski, his muzzle hung open in shock.

"I don't know!" He exclaimed with his emerald eyes as wide as dinner plates. Saebra groaned.

"Regardless. Hopps, help me cuff 'im." She ordered, and the rabbit obeyed.

Once returned to the ZPD, all four officers stood respectfully in fresh uniforms while facing Chief Bogo, who hung his head in frustration and groaned after his look-over of the formulating case's details.

"I'm afraid this case has become something we all have feared." He stated solemnly, standing up and hooking his arms behind his back, staring out into Zootopia's streets around the department through his window. "Whatever this is, whoever is causing it…this is Night Howler 2.0."

"But sir, the results from the all of the patients have confirmed that this is in fact _not_ Night Howler." Saebra reminded him.

"I know this. But we have to keep our minds open to anything and everything that this outbreak could be." He turned towards his seasoned officers with a grave expression. "However, we will continue this discussion on Monday morning. Right now, I need you all to write out your reports for the day and have them to me in an hour. Understood?" He ordered, and all four gave their nods of confirmation. Without another word they exited Bogo's office, splitting off in their respective directions.

"Want to go grab something to eat before we start on them?" Nick offered as soon as their burly boss was out of sight. Judy nodded wearily.

"I'm starving."

The two climbed into their assigned cruiser before taking off to Chipawtle, which was conveniently just a few blocks away. Slinging it into park and walking inside, the couple observed the almost empty restaurant contently.

"Good. No lines." Nick remarked.

As they placed their order, Judy caught ear of another conversation happening just ten feet down the way, with the pitch of one of the voices ringing out like a sickly bell to her. In surprise she turned to spot none other than Dawn Bellwether. The sheep had completely glided past her conscience, and Judy mentally kicked herself for having not noticed the villain sooner.

"Hey!" She yelled out, causing Nick to look over as well. The sheep's gaze snapped to them, and as the pang of realization washed over her the duo saw her expression melt into one of cool recognition.

"Judy Hopps! Oh I'd never thought I'd see _you_ again!" The prey chided in mock excitement, completely aware of the fact that the rabbit cop had advanced in her direction until she was practically on top of her. The sheep's expression changed once again to irritated disgust.

"Back it up, Carrot Face. I already have two pigs flanking me 24-7, thank you very much." Bellwether snapped, jerking her head in the direction of the two court officers standing tightly together with their shaded-eyes glaring directly at the not-so-sweet sheep. Judy growled as her eyebrows knit into anger. However, she saw a paw jut out to point at the sheep, and Judy realized that her husband was right behind her, glaring down at their enemy as well.

"Listen here, Bellwether." Nick started in growl low in his throat. "You so much as step one inch out of place, and we'll-" The sheep cut him off.

"Make me pay. I get it, I get it!" She mocked with a laugh before pointing to the high-powered anklet clasped around her left leg. "The courts beat you to that one, dog. I'm under strict surveillance until the 27th. Then I get to blow this candle." Nick growled again at the insult before Bellwether leaned in slightly with the slyest smile spread across her face.

"Now if I were you, I'd finish my order. You're holding up the line." She whispered viciously, and Judy glanced to see the much-accumulated mammals behind them giving them haughty glares. The two watched the sheep saunter off triumphantly, waving to the cashier before rejoining her assigned guards, not looking back at them once as they exited the building.

Judy huffed in frustration, slamming her money on the counter for her order.

Stomping along the sidewalk back to their cruiser, she erupted.

"I can't _believe_ her! After what she's done she had the guts to sit there and _talk_ to us like that?!" She exclaimed as she slammed the passenger-side door. Nick calmly climbed into the driver's seat before switching on the ignition. Giving a glance down the street perpendicular to them, he eyed Bellwether climbing into a sleek black car with the two court officers, the same smug smile plastered on her face.

"Don't waste your energy on her, Carrots. She's not worth it." He remarked, but Judy just crossed her arms angrily as they sped away.

 **Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

"Come in, come in! You both look so _tired!_ "

The middle-aged female wolf beckoned her son and daughter-in-law warmly into the house, which sat on the far edge of the woods outside of the main districts of Zootopia. It was a simple abode, much like a log cabin but with modern touches here and there. The smell of supper and warm, cinnamon candles enveloped their nostrils as they removed their scarves and coats.

"I hope you don't mind leftovers, you two. I have barely had time to run to the store the past few days with Kara's soccer practices being every day right after school." The mother explained, and the young male wolf chuckled.

"It's quite alright, Mom." He reassured her.

"Lucy!" came a feminine voice from the stairwell nearby, and before the vixen could so much as prepare herself a large mass of ebony fur enveloped her body and face. She gave a slight huff at the sheer force behind the movement, but her eyes were soon met with a pair of dancing brown eyes.

"Oh it feels so good to have another girl in the house!" The teenage wolf gushed excitedly, and Lucy smiled genuinely at her.

"Evening to you too, Kara." She said softly.

"Hey, it's the mammal of the hour!" another voice chimed, and having known better, Will had just enough time to strengthen his stance before being tackled by three of his brothers, who tussled with him while emitting playful growls.

"Come on guys, I just walked in." Will groaned playfully.

"No rest for wicked, bro." said one of them, who looked almost exactly like him save the black accents on his paws and tail.

"Boys!" Mrs. Dawson started, and when no answer came, she stamped her foot. " _Boys!"_

The wolves yelped and tore away from one another immediately. With all eyes on her, the mother sighed.

"Leave your brother alone until _after_ dinner, please. If any of you so much as scratch the hardwood floor I'll have your hides. _Understood?_ " She declared.

"Yeah, yeah, Mom. Relax."

"Don't test her, Robbie. I'm sure she's gotten better at the moves I've shown her." Will said, giving a wink to his mother, who smiled and shook her head in return.

The six brothers proceeded to take their seats at the table along with Kara, who had made a point to sit next to Lucy. The vixen had been quiet and respectful the entire time. Once settled in all six of Will's brothers began to chow down, with Robbie giving sideways glances to Lucy. Finally, he pointed his fork in her direction.

"Sorry we missed tussling _you_ at the door, Lucy. We _had_ to greet our brother first." Robbie explained to her as Mrs. Dawson began to set the table. She gave a breathless chuckle.

"Oh believe me…I'm kind of glad you didn't." Lucy said in a mumble, stroking a few fingers against the small bump on her abdomen. Thankfully the wolf had not heard what she had said as he began talking with everyone else. Mrs. Dawson took her seat at the table.

"I am so sorry that Joe could not be here tonight, Will. I'm sure he would have liked to have seen both of you." Mrs. Dawson explained apologetically, but Lucy and Will exchanged an anxious glance before Will answered.

"I'm sure he would have too." He conferred.

"So, what's it like in the big city? It looks soooo _beautiful!_ " Kara asked, throwing her paw up in emphasis. One of Will's other brothers gave a hearty scoff.

"Yeah right. Like _you're_ ever gonna live there." He chided.

"Can it, Josh!" Kara snapped at her brother. Mrs. Dawson shushed the both of them.

"It is wonderful, Kara, but like any place it does have its downs." Lucy said without as much as a look towards Josh's statement.

"I don't know how _any_ place with so many mammals could be _bad._ " The female wolf replied dreamily, resting her cheek against her propped up paw as she fiddled with her soup. Josh snorted again, but after eyeing the glare his mother was shooting him he returned to his own dish as well. Mrs. Dawson looked to both Will and Lucy with a warm smile after that.

"Well I suppose both of you are doing well?" She inquired.

"Yup. I'm graduating this June for musical education and Will landed a new spot in the shop as assistant manager!" Lucy said with an arched brow towards her husband, who felt a slight heat to his face as she praised him.

"Oh that's _wonderful_ you two! I'm so proud of you!" The middle-aged predator gushed happily to them. Will chuckled before turning to his mother a bit more.

"Yeah but Mom?...that's not why Lucy and I came to dinner tonight." He explained, and everyone ceased any unnecessary movement. All ears were perked towards the young wolf except for Lucy's, which still stood erect but were slanted behind her as her heart began to pound. The female wolf's eyes widened for a moment before an oblivious smile spread across her muzzle.

"Oh? Then what _was_ it?" She asked, glancing between the two of them. Will looked back to Lucy again for a moment, and the vixen gave a small nod to urge him along. Sucking in a large breath Will looked to his mother again.

"Well um….do you remember what you had said at our wedding? A-about if we ever had pups?" Will said nervously, watching his mother's expression intently. The gears in her head began to shift around as she thought back to her own words at her son's nuptials and after a moment she nodded.

"…yes, I remember. Why?" The 49 year-old canis lupes said, still not catching on. Will raised his eyebrows, flashing a smile and a squeeze of her paw while giving a nod to her. Suddenly the lightbulb went off in her head and her expression lit up.

" _No!_ Tell me you aren't!" She exclaimed excitedly, looking to the red fox. Lucy smiled brightly, conferring her husband's subtle announcement with a joyful bob of her head.

"It's true, Mrs. Dawson." She confirmed. The female wolf jumped up while giving a sound that was somewhere between a squeal and a howl, throwing her arms around her son's neck and pulling him into a bone-crushing hug.

" _What?_ " Kara exclaimed, looking to Lucy as the two beamed at one another and hugged tightly as well. However, all of Will's brothers were still sitting in dead-set confusion, their heads tilted every which way.

"What the heck is going on?" Robbie asked.

"Ugh, they're having _pups_ you moron!" Kara explained, frustrated at her brothers' dense nature. At this all of them jumped up.

"Bro, no you aren't!" Josh exclaimed, a smile spreading across his muzzle as all of them looked to their oldest brother. Will turned and nodded as best he could, still in the constricting embrace of his mother.

"It's true." He managed to squeak out under the pressure.

What followed was a whole riff-raff of howls and screams of joy as the entire Dawson family made their rounds in hugging Lucy and Will, congratulating them. Robbie and Josh gave Will hearty paw-shakes and claps on the back while Kara spent her time hugging Lucy over and over again. It seemed that the Dawson pack was very welcoming of the couple's huge announcement, a relief to both of them.

"Oh, do you know how many you're having?" Mrs. Dawson bubbled excitedly, her large paws resting gently on either mammals' shoulder. Lucy shook her head.

"Our first appointment is this Monday." She revealed as Will gave her paw a tight squeeze. The middle-aged wolf squealed again, slinging her arms around the vixen. She gave a small huff, and Mrs. Dawson jerked away suddenly.

"Oh I am _so_ sorry!" She said, gently touching Lucy's bump. The red fox giggled.

"It's okay, Mrs. D." She reassured her.

"Oh sweetie, enough with this formal stuff! I've already told you, call me Laura or Mom!" The female wolf said, waving away the formal address irritably. Lucy giggled at this.

"Alright, Mom." She mumbled, finding it odd to be calling someone by that title after such a long time. Mrs. Dawson nodded in satisfaction at the change, butting both paws on her hips.

"Well I have to tell you both, when and if you find out the genders don't be surprised if the majority of the pups are boys. It runs in the family." She stated. Lucy glanced over at Simon, Joseph Jr., and Michael, Will's three youngest brothers, who were wrestling on the rug in the living room. Her gaze slowly scanned over Robbie, Alex, and Josh before finally landing back on Will and his mom.

"I've noticed." She said jokingly, giving a small laugh. Mrs. Dawson continued to giggle as well before placing a paw over her heart as if she was about to keel over from excitement.

"Oh my goodness. My first grandchildren! What am I going to _do?_ " She gushed dramatically. Will shook his head before placing a paw on her arm.

"Be an awesome grandma, that's what." He replied, and Mrs. Dawson cooed before giving her eldest son a small kiss on the cheek. Lucy watched this scene with a huge smile on her face, both of her own paws resting once again on the small curve of her belly. Mrs. Dawson noticed this, and beamed another ear-splitting smile.

"You won't stay little for long, sweetheart." She remarked. "Here in the next few weeks you're gonna swell up like a balloon!" Lucy nodded, leaning against Will's side affectionately as he rubbed her back.

"I welcome it." She replied genuinely.

Not even two seconds after her declaration came a deafening shatter of glass, and everyone reeled back in shock with Will pushing Lucy behind him defensively. The curtains to the front window began to flap in the acquired breeze, glittering shards of glass cast all over the rug below. Among them was a large stone, definitely big enough to cause damage. Someone had just vandalized the Dawson property.

Will shifted from his position to carefully go over to the gaping hole, glaring out into the night in search of anything or anyone that could have possibly thrown the object. Unfortunately, whoever had thrown it was long gone and with a slightly elevated heartrate he turned back to his family.

"What. Was. _That?"_ Kara said in a worried tone while looking completely stunned. Will did not answer her but instead turned his attention back to the large rock, leaning over to gently pick it up. Turning it about in his large paw, he eyed a note scribbled haphazardly across the surface.

 **DEATH TO OPPRESSION. LONG LIVE PREY-COR.**

Upon reading it a chill went down Lucy's spine, and her eyebrows knotted in concern.

"What in blue blazes does that mean?" She said, glaringly frustrated at the cryptic message. Will locked eyes with her as he shook his head in confusion. Lucy pursed her lips in thought, then snatched the stone from Will's grasp to look it over herself. Meanwhile, Mrs. Dawson was consoling her only daughter, while Will's brothers stood in star-struck awe at what had just transpired. Lucy looked back up to Will.

"We need to take this to the ZPD. Get a picture of the window." She told him, and while Will whipped out his phone to snap a shot, she turned to Mrs. Dawson.

"I'm so sorry, but we're going to have to cut our visit short. We'll report the broken window to Nick and Judy." Lucy explained, and the middle-aged wolf nodded.

"Do what you have to. And be safe." She said, bringing them both into a tight hug with a small kiss for each of them on the forehead. "Especially you, Lucy." The vixen nodded.

"Don't worry about me, Mom." She reassured her, and with that the couple left Will's parents house, climbing into the car in a rush and taking off towards the ZPD.

 **Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

Furiously typing away with a _click-clack_ Judy was just about finished with the reports. Her ears were completely extended in concentration with her violet eyes scanning across the document on screen a determined fashion. It was already 7:45 at night and she desperately wanted to go home and sleep.

"Hey do you remember Mister Odinski's address? I know it was on Elm, but I can't remember the digits." She spoke off to her right, not so much as looking up at her husband who was sipping on his fifth cup of coffee that day. He had offered to fill out the painful paperwork for his over-worked wife but as always she had dismissed the consideration.

"43952." He rambled off effortlessly. Judy nodded absentmindedly, punching in the numbers. Nick watched her, studying the way the white-ish glow of the computer screen accented her round cheeks and large, expressive eyes. He had always admired them.

Shoving himself off of the table he was leaning on, the red fox lazily sauntered over to her and set his coffee cup down on the desk. Judy hadn't so much as noticed the new object to her direct right when a pair of thumbs dug into the back crook of her neck, making her jump slightly in surprise. Her eyes began to roll back in her head in enjoyment, but her mouth did not agree.

"What are you doing, Nick?" She inquired, letting her head slump back against his stomach. Nick chuckled.

"I don't know Carrots, you looked a little…." The pause was for him to lean down and brush his muzzle against her ear. "….tense. So I thought I'd give you a little rub."

A shiver went through the female rabbit, and her tail twitched in excitement. However, upon opening her eyes again she was reminded of where she was at and playfully shoved him away.

"Not here, Nick. Save it for bed." She replied coldly, though deep down she did not want it to come out that way.

Nick's expression faltered slightly in response but it did not last for long. In a sudden burst of sound and light the door swung open, and two shadows cast into the room. It took a moment for the two cops to adjust their sights to recognize who it was, and when they did the two were already across the room and standing in front of the desk.

"Judy! Nick! I'm so glad you both are still here! We have a complaint." Lucy rambled off before Nick gave a small groan. Lucy glared at him.

"We're serious, someone vandalized my mom's house!" Will explained, showing them the picture of the broken glass. Judy snatched it up and studied it while Nick turned back to his sister and brother-in-law.

"Well as much as I'm sure you both have paid attention to Judy and I's jobs, we're going to need some evidence." He said, lazy sarcasm dripping from his tone.

"Here. This is what came crashing through the window." Lucy said, producing the large stone from her purse and extending it out for the two cops to see. The duo studied it as well, particularly unsettled by the creepy note written in black marker. Judy turned her gaze to Nick who had just as much an unnerved expression as herself.

"Do you think this has anything to do with the 2.0 case?" She mumbled. Nick didn't reply but it seems that despite her efforts, the vixen had still heard her.

"What? What's that?" Lucy chimed in again, looking as confused as ever. Nick grabbed the stone, tucking it into his pocket and gathering up the remaining papers they had had to write.

"That's none of your concern. Right now, we need to take this to Chief Bogo." He stated firmly, starting to walk out the door with Judy, Lucy, and Will right on his tail. Trekking across the enormous lobby of the ZPD the spotted Clawhauser on the phone but decided to pay it no mind. However, just as they were crossing the desk Clawhauser held out a paw to stop them.

"Judy! Nick! Somebody on the phone needs to talk to you!" The robust cheetah declared. Nick groaned, stopping to give the mammal a hard look.

"Well whoever it is, can't they wait? We've got some serious business we need to figure out." He snapped. Clawhauser shook his head violently.

"Oh no, no, no, this…..mammal says it's urgent!"

"Who is it?" Judy snapped back, irritated beyond all recognition at the moment. The cheetah slightly turned his face back into the phone while putting up his paw to keep the group standing there. "Excuse me ma'am can you repeat your name for me?"

A few seconds was not enough to prepare the two couples for what Clawhauser said next.

"Jane….Wilde?"

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 **Oh ho ho, things are getting crazy! I seriously am so excited to play out this story for you all! I am so sorry for the delay in the update, things have been super busy for me and my time to write is few and far between. Also, if any of you are wondering where Olivia and Allie went I'll address that within the next couples of chapters, don't worry! All the same, please review or give this story a fav/follow if you so desire! I appreciate every one of you! Stay tuned!**

 **Best regards,**

 **AleahLondon1987**


	5. Chapter 5

Nick's large ears pinned back against his skull as his eyes widened in shock.

His mother, who had been MIA for almost seventeen years, was on the other end of the line that was cradled in Clawhauser's paw. The weight of what that meant crashed down on him all at once, along with at least a dozen questions flashing through for his estranged maternal figure. All other concerns and situations fell away from mind as his thoughts locked solely on what had just been announced.

Lucy was equally as amazed, having not heard anything about the particular female fox since Nick and she had discovered they were twins once again.

Nick turned to look at them for a moment. Judy placed a supportive paw on his arm. Lucy locked eyes with him and with a small, curt nod, she urged him to answer. He set the stone and paperwork down on the front desk, slowly taking the phone from the large cheetah. Bringing it up to his ear, he cautiously spoke.

"….Hello?" came his soft, muddled greeting.

"Nick?" The other voice spoke cautiously as well but with a hint of hopeful excitement behind it, and Nick could feel his stomach drop as the familiar tone hit him like a freight train. It was definitely his mother.

"M-Mom?" He replied. He heard a sigh of relief.

"Oh thank goodness I was able to get ahold of you! I've been trying for days!" The feminine voice exclaimed dramatically. "How have you _been_? I saw you on the news and…I thought maybe you'd want to talk."

The blunt and oblivious nature of the statement made Nick's blood boil. It took him becoming a low-key celebrity for his mother to want to talk to him again? What a joke. However, he decided to save his frustration for a later time, and bit down the vicious insults that threatened to escape his ever-anxious tongue.

"…..I've been fine Mom…I'm living in Zootopia now…." He replied rather shakily, grabbing the phone with both paws. It was almost as if his mother sensed the hostile nature to his tone, because hers quickly shifted as she spoke again.

"Look Nicholas, I know you and I are not on the best of terms…but I want to change that now…..is there any way you can meet me sometime soon?"

The question seemed so simple, but having been through years of wondering and imagining what their reunion would be like, Nick found himself at a loss for words. He once again locked eyes with his sister, who watched him with a sympathetic gaze. A new bravery welled up inside of him, and he turned his head back into the phone.

"Uh…yeah, yeah…I have the day off tomorrow….when would you like to meet?" He replied.

"I'm coming into town by way of Line B from Brooksdale. 9:00 sharp….." She explained, and Nick nodded.

"I'll meet you at the train station. And be prepared for a few….surprises." He declared, looking to the three mammals in front of him with a nod. Judy and Lucy's ears both perked up at the sound of the word 'surprises'.

"Oh! Well okay, Nick, I didn't think you'd want to meet so early…" Jane fumbled over her words indefinitely, but Nick shook his head.

"See you then." He replied, and before she could give a response he slammed the phone back down onto the receiver and released a heavy sigh. He felt Judy shift towards him.

"Nick…." She started before Nick jerked himself away and in the direction of Bogo's office.

"Drop it." He snapped, his grip on the stone deathly tight now and the papers crumpling in his other fist. Judy looked to Lucy and Will with a concerned look, an expression they both mirrored.

Turning in their much-needed reports and changing into civilians, the four proceeded to exit the building without so much as another word. However, as they approached the spot that they would go their separate ways, Lucy decided to break that hold.

"Nick, I think we should talk about this. Just for a few moments." She stated sternly.

"What is there to talk about, Lu?" Nick snapped, his paws balled into a tense fists. "I've already told you everything you need to know concerning our oh-so-special mother." The sarcasm was heavy in his tone.

Judy sensed quite a bit of hostility coming from her husband, which she rarely ever saw out of him anymore. Though he still had his wide-cracking nature that she had fallen for, Nick had changed over the course of the years they had spent together. Whether it was for the better or not was still up for debate, but she knew that at the moment it was not a positive thing.

Looking back to Lucy, both Nick and Judy observed the slightly hurt expression on her face, and Nick gave a heavy sigh again.

"Just….let me do the talking tomorrow okay? I'll let you know when it's okay to show yourself." Nick reassured her, giving a somewhat thoughtful approach to how they planned to deal with Nick and Lucy's estranged mother tomorrow morning. Lucy nodded.

"Okay….." She said softly, and before Nick could even so much as utter a syllable of an apology for snapping she flashed a tight smile.

"I'll see you both tomorrow then, I guess." She said, turning away. Will, who had remained silent the entire time, cupped a paw on her back and turned to walk with her. Judy and Nick watched their receding silhouettes slowly shrink away from them, until Judy turned to Nick again.

"Smooth, Nick. Real smooth." She chided sarcastically. Nick shook his head.

"What was I _supposed_ to tell her, Carrots? It's not like my mom has been a shining figure for most of my life. And I wasn't about to get her hopes up." Nick retorted, shaking his head. Judy's ears fell behind her head, and she took a few ginger steps forward.

 **Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

Slipping in between the sheets of their king size bed, Will released a much-anticipated groan/sigh. He gave the back of his neck a decent scratch.

"Quite an interesting day it's been." He declared, looking for a sign of validation verbally from his wife. When none came, he turned to see Lucy laying on her back already underneath the covers, her paws neatly folded and placed on top of her ever-growing baby bump. He reached over and placed his paw gently over hers. It knocked her out of her stupor and her gaze shifted to his as she blinked rapidly.

"I'm sorry, what'd you say?" She asked innocently. Will chuckled, leaning over and giving her a generous kiss on the cheek.

" _You_ are one distracted fox, my dear." He stated as he wrapped an arm around her and pulled her close. Lucy sighed, slowly nodding as she began to stroke her belly.

"I know. I just…..I have no idea what to expect out of her tomorrow….." She replied. Will's expression fell slightly, but he quickly took one finger and tucked it under her chin, lifting her gaze to his again.

"No matter what happens…..you will _always_ have me." He whispered. Glancing between his eyes and his muzzle, a soft smile spread across Lucy's muzzle.

"I know." She confirmed before the two shared a tender kiss.

 **Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

Throwing the last of the sopping wet clothes into an already-prepped washing machine, Judy gave a frustrated huff and leaned against the metal contraption. Stretching out her legs, she took a good, long look at the disheveled scene before her. She was starting to think that making Wednesday the designated laundry day wasn't working out in their favor.

Glancing towards the table that sat opposite of the washer and dryer, she eyed the stack of envelopes sitting dead center. Nick had grabbed the mail and put it down there when they had made it home, though neither party had been able to look at them whilst getting in the door.

Judy walked over and snatched them up, sifting through each one and sorting them accordingly. However, upon reaching the very last envelope she froze completely. The one she held in her hand was long and a creamy white, with their names and address stamped across the front. This was the last letter she had ever wanted to recieive.

Tearing it open indefinitely and skipping to the crucial part, Judy's expression fell completely. Everything else fell away as she let the letter fall to her side along with her paw. She blinked several times, trying to fight back the tears that were welling up in the corners of her amethyst orbs. However, it all poured out as she covered her face with her paws, giving a small cry.

Though his hearing was nowhere near that of his wife's, Nick's left ear pricked in the direction of the sound from across the house. He wasted no time in rushing back.

"Carrots?" He called out, rounding the corner and stopping abruptly in the doorway. He observed the messy scene and his disheveled wife standing next to the table in the corner. He took two steps forward.

"Carrots, what's-" He stopped as he spotted the neatly folded letter in her paw. His heart sank. Without so much as another sound Judy looked up at him, the tears now freely streaming down her cheeks.

"It's not you. It's _me._ " She whispered, and no further explanation was needed for him to know what she was talking about. He began to reach out to her.

"Carrots…" He began again but she jerked herself away, putting a paw up to stop him.

"Leave me alone!" She snapped, her voice cracking in five different pitches. Nick froze in place, not wanting to upset her any further. Judy gave him one last morose look before crossing her arms tightly, turning about to look out the window behind her.

Nick took careful steps forward, eyeing the letter before picking it up himself and skimming over it. After taking in the news himself, he shook his head and placed it back on the table. He turned back to Judy. Taking cautious steps yet again to approach his distressed wife, he spoke again.

"Judy I…I'm sorry…." He mumbled. Judy scoffed.

"What are _you_ sorry for? _You_ are able to do everything your species is supposed to do…."She snapped bitterly, her glare firmly locked at the scene outside the window. Despite her outburst Nick continued to inch closer and closer to her before he was right behind her. Slowly wrapping his arms around her, he pulled the young rabbit into him.

Judy tensed up at the contact at first, but soon enough she relaxed completely, turning about to bury her face in Nick's chest. Nick felt her small body begin to shake, and he realized she had begun to sob. He placed a tender paw against the curve of her back, stroking it gently as he comforted her. The two of them stayed like that for several moments. Finally, Judy turned her head to allow her voice to carry out from the warm comfort of Nick's chest.

"I just wanted to raise them with you….." She whimpered. Nick's heart shattered. It wasn't very often that situations got to Judy Wilde this badly, but when they did it was momentous. Tonight was no exception.

The red fox was at a loss for words. He had never had to experience something of this nature, and knew that the words spoken at this time were crucial. So, like a good husband, he just continued to stroke her back and hold her close. As rain began to fall for the third time that week and they could hear its _pitter-patter_ on the roof, Nick and Judy Wilde just held one another, letting anything and everything fade away for the rest of the evening.

 **xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

Silence riddled the sedan as the four mammals sped their way towards South Zootopia Station, which is where Nick and Lucy's mother was scheduled to stop at. Will had a comforting arm around Lucy as she leaned against him, exhausted from the night before. Judy sat staring out of the window as Nick drove. The obvious invisible wall between them was a result of their own eventful evening, and Judy was not much in the mood to be anywhere near Nick as they continued to speed closer to their destination.

Once arriving they carefully exited the vehicle and looked at the "Arrival" train stops tabloid laid out on a glistening screen in front of them. Brooksdale was towards the bottom, and it was on time. Nick glancing over to Terminal B, where they would indefinitely be meeting with his mother in just a few moments. He turned to his sister.

"Okay, stay out of sight until I give you the O.K. I'm not sure how Mom is going to take all of this." He remarked, gesturing to all three of them subtly. Judy shook her head, letting the cause of her own bitter façade fall away for a moment.

"If she loves you at all Nick, she won't have any problem accepting us." She declared. Nick gave a doubtful nod before hearing the tracks hiss, an indication that there was an oncoming train. Sucking in a huge breath, he turned around to face the terminal.

His mind began to replay memories of his mother. The time she had bought him a brand new scout uniform, the millions of times she had played with him in the backyard. The ever-widening distance between them as Nick got older and bitterer with the world. The fights. The discovery of Nick's con-man secret. Her biting last words to him. Everything played through his mind like an old film reel, and he found himself in a mish-mash of confusion and unsatisfied want of what his mother had left him devoid of long ago.

The train came to a screeching halt and with yet another hiss of the air pressure tanks, the doors glided open, and a flood of various mammals gushed out in a rush. Nick stood his ground, keeping his eyes peeled for anyone that could possibly look like his mother.

Gradually the crowd dispersed, and it was peaceful again until the next train which was scheduled to come in fifteen minutes. Something caught Nick's peripheral vision, and with a small tilt of his head to the left he faced the one mammal he had missed out on for so long.

Dressed in a simplistic suede skirt and a delicate white button-up shirt, Jane Wilde looked around aimlessly for her son. Her paws were tightly clasped together against her stomach, keeping the large knitted shawl wrapped elegantly around her arms and shoulders. Her pearl jewelry set sparkled in the morning sunlight. Her gaze slowly scanned over and finally locked with an adult red fox about fifty feet away, and she felt her heart do a backflip.

"Nicholas?" She called, her stride picking up speed as she advanced over to him. Nick absentmindedly outstretched his arms. The elder fox snatched him up into a tight embrace.

"Oh _Nicholas!_ Look how much you've _grown!_ " She gushed, grabbing either of his arms and shoving herself away just enough to face him again. She studied his face, stroking a finger along his cheek as her eyes welled up with tears. Nick felt all of his pent-up anger melt away for the time being. His mother had streaks of gray in her fur along her paws and chest, with small silver hairs peeking out on her ears as well. Though she had very obviously aged since their last encounter, she had aged well. Nick could see where Lucy had gotten her feminine beauty.

"Hi Mom." He replied. She smiled, dabbing her eyes with a handkerchief. The two sat in stunned silence for a few moments, then Jane spoke again.

"Well, I saw that you are on to bigger and better things lately! Big city cop, huh?" She said excitedly. Nick chuckled nervously.

"Yeah….been working there almost four years now. It's really flew by." He stated. Jane nodded, but her expression fell to one of confused curiosity.

"Nick about these 'surprises' you mentioned…." She began, and Nick held up one finger.

"Got you covered." He said. Turning about to what looked like an empty corridor, he gestured to himself.

"Come on out now." He called.

Lucy, who was standing on the other side of the corner with Judy and Will, gulped nervously until the rabbit and wolf urged her on, giving her a silent thumbs-up. She nodded, placing one paw firmly over the curve of her belly and taking the first step forward into view. Immediately she laid eyes on her brother, and her heartrate only quickened as she identified the red fox standing next to him. She gasped softly, but remained silent.

Jane studied the vixen who was slowly advancing towards her son and her, one brow highly arched in confusion. Upon reaching a few feet from her, the visibly younger vixen stopped as Nick placed a paw on the small of her back. Lucy mustered up the courage to lock eyes with her mother, at which the elder fox looked to Nick again.

"Is this…..?" She trailed off emptily, glancing in between Nick and the vixen rapidly when suddenly her face lit up in recognition.

"Lucille?" She whispered in pure amazement, her weak amber-gold eyes wide and glossy. Lucy gave a breathless chuckle, feeling tears start to accumulate in the corners of her eyes as she beamed.

"Hi Mom." She whispered, and the two threw themselves into each other's arms, with Jane affectionately stroking the back of Lucy's head. The elder fox began to lightly sob into her daughter's shoulder before pulling away.

"Oh my sweet Lucille! Let me look at you! Oh how beautiful you are! You both are the spitting image of your father!" She exclaimed, cupping either side of her face and stroking her cheeks affectionately. Lucy continued to beam brightly, letting some her tears fall as well. Jane reached around to Nick and brought them both into a hug again.

"My sweet twins. Together again at last." She mumbled. Nick smirked while Lucy gave him a playful glare, warning him not to ruin the moment. After pulling away, the three foxes stood in a tight circle facing one another.

"Well, it seems we have a _lot_ to talk about!" Jane exclaimed, giving a firm nod in emphasis. Lucy nodded. Nick held up one finger.

"But Mom…..I said surprise _s…._ as in plural…" Nick emphasized. Jane's eyes widened. Smiling at them both again she chuckled.

"What could possibly be better than learning that you're both alive and healthy?" She challenged the notion with another ear-splitting smile. Nick and Lucy exchanged an anxious glance before Lucy spoke.

"Well Mom…..we're not exactly single mammals." She replied, and Jane glanced towards their paws. Sure enough she spied their gold wedding bands shining in the daylight. She gasped, locking eyes with them again.

"You're…..you're both married?" She mumbled. Nick nodded.

"For almost two years now." He detailed. Jane sighed in absolute wonder.

"Well, where are they? I'm sure they are both very respectable foxes." Jane replied, glancing around excitedly. Lucy and Nick exchanged another look before Lucy took a step forward and gently grabbed her mother's paw.

"Heh….Mom?" She began, and Jane looked back at her two kits to realize they were looking at her in a very anxious manner. She raised her eyebrows.

"What, my dears?" She replied. Lucy flashed a soft smile.

"My husband is not a fox." She said in a hushed tone, and Jane's eyes widened once more. Nick shook his head.

"My wife isn't either."

Before Jane could say anything else, Lucy gestured for the two mammals to come forward, and Judy and Will both took cautious steps forward.

The tension between the group of mammals seemed to rise as Will and Judy finished their twenty foot trek over to the small ring of red foxes, and Jane just stood in awestruck wonder as Nick gently guided Judy forward with one paw firmly clasped around hers.

"Mom, this is Judy…..my wife." Nick explained. Jane locked eyes with her, and for the first time in a long time Judy felt intimidated as she stood under the elder fox's analytical stare. She chuckled nervously, pulling her lips into a quick grin and extending a paw.

"H-Hi Mrs. Wilde…..nice to meet you…." She said as kindly as she could, but Jane did not take her paw. Instead, she turned to Lucy, who had since wrapped an arm (as best she could) around Will's waist.

"And this is Will….my husband." She introduced. Jane stared up at Will in shock, and the gentle giant of a wolf smiled.

"Nice to meet you, Mrs. Wilde. I apologize if Judy and I are not what you expected." He explained, extending his own large paw. Jane looked between the two of them before shaking both of their paws simultaneously.

"I-Indeed you were not." She replied. Lucy felt a lump in her throat.

"Fred and I had always hoped that Nicholas and Lucille would both find respectable kinds of their own species…other species didn't even cross our minds….." She continued, trailing off as she recalled the times her late husband and her had conversed about their kits' futures.

"Well, it's the reality. And nothing's going to change that." Nick snapped defensively, already sensing where this conversation was headed. Jane shook her head, waving a paw around in defense.

"Oh no no no, Nick, I'm not looking to do _that._ I-I just…..am surprised is all." She said as she continued to gawk between the small rabbit and the large wolf. Everyone heard a giggle, and turned to Lucy who had produced it.

"Well Nick _did_ promise you that." She reminded her.

"I guess so!" Jane joked back, flashing pearly white canines. The entire group began to chuckle a bit. After a few moments, Jane nodded.

"Yes, yes, this is fine…..it's Fred who would have had a big problem with this…." Jane revealed, looking towards the ground as the mention of her deceased husband sent a pang of anguish to her heart. Shoving it back down, she gave a pained smile to the group.

"Well I suppose that that concludes the 'surprises' then, yes?" She said happily, clasping her paws together. Lucy shook her head.

"Not completely." She declared. Jane sighed.

"I have scarcely been standing here ten minutes and already you two are wearing me down like you're little kits again!" She jokingly chided. Lucy cringed slightly before glancing up at Will, who stood perfectly still.

"Oh trust me, this one will top them all." Lucy remarked, and Jane locked eyes with her once more. Judy had moved in front of Nick, who wrapped both arms around her shoulders and pulled her into him affectionately. She leaned her head back against his chest as they watched their sister try to explain to Nick's mother the biggest news.

"Lucy, what is it? You're awfully nervous, sweetheart." Jane remarked, gently taking one of her daughter's paws. Lucy gave a breathless chuckle, accepting the touch and grinning at her beautiful elder mother. However the expression was short-lived as the vixen's expression turned to one of a more serious vibe.

"Mom, I've lived without you for almost 29 years…I sometimes wonder what it could have been like growing up as a Wilde….with you and Dad and Nick…." She remarked, looking off into the distance. Jane shook her head.

"No no, sweetheart, don't beat yourself up for it….it was an honest accident." She reassured her distressed offspring. Lucy shifted her gaze back to her. She sighed, closing her eyes for a moment.

"I know….I just…." Her emerald orbs lifted to meet her mother's amber ones again. "I plan to do better with my kits." She remarked, a blatantly obvious reveal but Jane didn't catch on right away. Instead the elder fox arched a brow in confusion, looking about.

" _Your_ kits….?" She mumbled, searching around for any scampering little ones until she felt Lucy move her paw downward. Her gaze snapping back to hers, Lucy placed the pads of her mother's left paw gently over the small bump of her abdomen. Jane glanced down for a split second, and just as Mrs. Dawson had done the puzzle pieces came together and her eyes and face lit up in realization.

"Oh Lucille, you aren't!" She exclaimed. Will gave out a hearty chuckle.

"Why does everyone think you aren't?" He remarked, while Lucy laughed. Jane jerked her head in Will's direction.

"With him?" She asked. Lucy's head couldn't bob up and down excitedly enough. Jane gasped excitedly, snatching her paw away and covering her muzzle with both of them to try and retain her obvious excitement.

"How long? When's the due date? How many are you having? Have you picked out names?" The questions just rambled out in a relentless sequence after that, and Lucy answered them as best as she could.

Jane Wilde was officially on cloud nine. Not only had she become a mother again to both of her offspring, but had gained a son and daughter-in-law and would soon be gaining her own grandchildren as well. The elder fox had not felt this happy in a long time, and she mentally kicked herself for not having contacted her son sooner.

"Oh I'm so happy….with everything, I just….I don't know what to do with myself!" Jane babbled. Lucy giggled again, and for the hundredth time that day took her paws in hers.

"I'll tell you what you can do. You can go with me tomorrow to go baby shopping." Lucy explained.

"Of course, my sweet Lucille! And I can tell you _everything_ I know about motherhood!" She confirmed. Nick scoffed.

 _Like how to abandon your kits and ignore them for the entirety of their adult life?_ His bitter thought snapped in his mind. Judy glanced at him and watched his eyes fall to the floor. She frowned, and the two locked eyes for a moment before Nick shook his head in silent dismissal, reassuring the bunny that he was alright. Judy knew better than to believe that.

"Nick…" She said softly, placing a paw on his shoulder. He shrugged it off, holding up a paw to stop her before her voice caught his mother's attention.

"Later, Cottontail." He sealed off the potential conversation for a later date, and as much as Judy wanted to pry, she didn't want to ruin the moment for Will, Lucy, and Jane. She pursed her lips together, giving a curt nod before turning her attention back to her extended family.

The entire group began to exit the station, each in their own respective pairs with Jane standing in the middle furiously chatting away.

Off in the distance, past the shrubs and small trees that lined the railroad tracks, stood two solemn figures, their vicious, red eyes peering through the leaves as they watched the mammals turn the corner to the parking lot. Throwing the branches back into place, the shorter one turned to look at his tall companion, the long, jagged curve of his profile jutting out from underneath the mask he wore.

"Notify Red Leader that we've found his broad….. _and_ her potential allies." The mammal's thick, demanding Jersey-like accent ordered. The tall figure nodded, beginning to mumble into the walkie talkie he had firmly grasped in his claws as the two began their receding trek back towards their van in haste, their shadows long and menacing like black, crooked trees in the still-rising sun.

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 **Okay so first off, I'm back. I know it has taken me F-O-R-E-V-E-R to write this chapter and I apologize. Life kind of threw me a curveball recently and I had to take care of it. Nevertheless I am back and ready to write! Thanks so much for your patience and please drop me a review or fav/follow if you'd like! I can't wait to give you all the next chapters! Thanks so much!**

 **Sincerely,**

 **AleahLondon1987**


	6. Chapter 6

_Flashes of bold, blue lightning cracked across the pitch black sky, illuminating the darkened room for one terrifying moment. There was a small scream in response to it, and a small kit scrambled her way underneath the wooden rocking chair that her mother sat so calmly in. The young fox chuckled sympathetically, her left paw hooked around her son's waist, who sat on her lap. The entire ensemble sat by a roaring fireplace, the amber glow of the flames being the primary light of the room._

 _"Oh Lucille, don't be afraid! That lightning can't get to you!" The mother cooed reassuringly to her kit. The toddler stuck her head out from underneath the seat of the chair timidly._

 _"I-It can't?" She uttered as her expressive emerald eyes widened. The mother fox extended her free paw towards her._

 _"Of course not. Not so long as you're in here with us! Now come up here and sit with your brother." She ordered, and Lucy obliged. Once she had both of her kits nestled comfortably in her lap, Jane glanced between them._

 _"Nothing will ever do either of you harm as long your father and I are alive, darlings." Jane reassured them. "And even when we're not around, you must look after each other. Agreed?" She said. Lucy smiled._

 _"Yes!" She piped up._

 _"Yeah, I guess." Nick mumbled, being the typical brother. Jane frowned. Turning to Lucy, she flashed a smile._

 _"Lucille, why don't you go see where Daddy's at? I'm sure he'd love some help!" She said encouragingly. Lucy giggled and squealed in delight, bouncing down from her mother's lap._

 _"Heh heh, okay!" She agreed, running off into the hallway. Turning back to her firstborn, Jane's expression fell once more to a stern façade. Meeting his mother's amber gaze made Nick instantly regret anything he said. His mother had a way of doing that without saying a word. However, this time she did._

 _"Nicholas you may not realize it now, but someday your sister is going to need you very much. And you have to be ready." Jane stated. "You can't be like this when that time comes."_

 _"Okay." He replied bashfully, his ears drooping behind his head shamefully. Jane's expression softened slightly, and she took a finger to his chin and lifted his gaze back to hers._

 _"Can you do that for me?" She asked in a sweeter tone. Nick nodded._

 _"Yeah." He replied. Jane gave a soft smile._

 _"Good."_

 **Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

Waddling along as best as she could, Lucy scrambled after two leopard cubs who had broken free of the line that was being fed through the gates into the parking lot. The bell had already rung, and the now much-showing vixen struggled to keep up with them.

"If you boys don't get back in line this instant…." She scolded, putting her paws firmly on the small of her back and pausing to take a breather.

"Joseph and Steven! In line _now!_ " Mrs. Festah barked angrily. The two cubs sprinted back to their spot, snickering and chuckling the entire way. Once the middle-aged cheetah had saw everyone to their awaiting parents and guardians, she walked over to Lucy, who had since taken a seat at one of the many picnic tables scattered about the playground.

"Lucy, are you alright sweetheart? Those Thompson boys threw you for a loop!" She asked worriedly. Lucy waved her away.

"I'm alright, just….trying to catch my breath." She reassured her.

It had been a few weeks since Lucy had first met her biological mother, and much to her astonishment she found that Laura Dawson had not been completely off the mark. She had indeed swelled up like a balloon, and found it hard to even stand up straight anymore. Regardless, she carried on how she always had with Mrs. Festah and the third grade class.

Gripping the edge of the picnic table, Lucy hoisted herself back up onto her feet. It was the end of the day and she had to collect her purse before Will arrived to pick her up. In light of her recent situation, Lucy found she could not fit comfortably behind the wheel anymore, even with the seat fully extended back. So with reluctance she had to enlist the help of her more-than-eager husband, who had been driving her to and from the school ever since her discovery.

Mrs. Festah reappeared with Lucy's bag and jacket in hand, a warm grandmother-like smile plastered across her muzzle. Though it was late February now, it was still chilly enough to wear a jacket.

"I thought you'd appreciate having these." She stated, extending out her arm. Lucy flashed a smile of relief, grabbing the strap and slinging it on her left shoulder.

"Thank you." She said quietly.

"No problem. I was in your shoes at one time and I know how hard it is to get around." The cheetah explained. Lucy smiled and nodded again, before the blip of a police siren echoed through the air. Startled, Lucy whirled about and spotted her brother pulling into the school in a ZPD cruiser. Children and adults alike froze and gawked at the cruiser, whispering and pointing. Lucy groaned.

"That's my ride." She said, beginning to waddle through the gate and over to the cruiser. Nick hopped out, still adorned in his duty uniform and his favorite pair of aviator sunglasses.

"Happy to see me?" He joked with a sly smile.

"Where's Will?" was her immediate question upon nearing the vehicle.

"Working overtime. He sends his strongest apologies. Lucky for you, Judy and I were let off early for the first time in forever." He explained.

"Okay." Lucy responded begrudgingly, having since opened the passenger door and was trying (poorly) to hoist herself up into the seat amidst her twin's rambling. The male fox scrambled over to grab her paw and place the other on the small of her back, aiding her in getting up into the seat. Once situated, he shut the door and gave a wave to all the staring children, who bashfully waved back.

"Correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't this illegal?" Lucy asked as her brother barreled down the highway back in the direction of the heart of the city.

"Nope. What Chief Buffalo Butt doesn't know won't hurt him." Nick replied without hesitation. Lucy arched a skeptical brow towards him.

"Such an honest police officer you are, Nick." She retorted sarcastically. Nick chuckled, giving her a sideways look of pure mischief.

"That's me, Foxy. Don't forget it." He joked without batting an eye. Lucy huffed through her nose again, directing her attention out of her own window. Pulling onto Lucy's street, the two red foxes eyed two figures outside of the Dawson household.

Their mother, who had since taken up residence in Lucy and Will's home during her visit to the shining city, was throwing her head back in genuine laughter as she stood talking with Judy on the porch, who had the most stupid grin spread across her round cheeks. The corners of Nick's mouth curled at this sight. Judy Wilde had a wonderful smile. He watched as his lovely wife and mother eyed their approaching cruiser, and Judy beamed even brighter.

"Well geez, we were wondering when you were going to show up!" Judy taunted as Nick rolled up the window upon parking in the slanted driveway.

"Hey, there's no rushing Nick Wilde and Lucy Dawson. You know that, Carrots." Nick replied. Amidst his sarcastic exchange with the bunny, Lucy had pushed open the passenger side door as best as she could, and both Judy and Jane rushed to her side to grab either of her paws.

"Careful, dear, careful." Jane reminded her as Lucy let go of her paw to cup a firm hold on her swollen belly. Taking each step tenderly, she climbed down as gracefully as she could and released a huff.

"Thank you." She uttered softly.

"No problem." Judy replied, still keeping a paw hovering behind the small of her back as the heavily pregnant vixen began her slow but sure trek towards the front door.

"We didn't want to start doing anything until you both came back." Jane explained. Lucy gave a small giggle.

"To be honest, I wouldn't have minded either way." She remarked.

Upon entering the home, Lucy waddled fairly steadily over to the stairs without hesitation, and Nick and Jane quickly flanked her. Lucy glanced back at them before giving a small roll of her eyes.

"C'mon you guys, I don't need _that_ much help." She snapped playfully, grabbing the railing and hoisting herself up with seeming ease. However, the quick movement didn't hesitate to throw off her balance. She gave a short yip as she began to tumble backwards, a pair of strong arms catching her from underneath her armpits and wrapping themselves around her chest. She looked back to see that Nick had caught her, his face now twisted in genuine concern but a small flash of triumph hidden in there as well.

"…..I think you do." Nick replied. Lucy sighed as her brother hoisted her back up onto her feet and placed a paw on the small of her back again, guiding her up the steps with Jane and Judy not too far behind.

Upon reaching the top, the vixen took a few more steps before making a left and stopping just inside the doorway to the baby room.

Will and she had already painted the entire room a very soft powder blue and set up the rocking chair that sat idly in the adjacent corner to the large window. The scattered pieces to the three small cribs still lay in a heap in the corner nearest to them.

"We'll each take a crib and start working on it. You just take a seat in the rocking chair, Lucille." Jane directed.

"Yeah, we don't want the painting incident happening again." Judy agreed. Lucy shook her head.

"No, I can-" Her sentence was cut short as Nick laid a paw on her shoulder.

"Chair. Now." He ordered. Lucy huffed in defeat, plopping down into the wooden seat and resting her paws on the dome of her belly.

"You all sound just like Will." She snapped, but only Judy acknowledged her remark with a quick glance upwards and a flash of a sarcastic smirk.

The three mammals set to work, with Lucy directing her attention to the outside world. The sun was beginning to make its descent to the horizon little by little, the amber rays illuminating the facing whitewashed walls of every home and every surface it touched. A young rhinoceros played outside with his mother, throwing a rather heavy soccer ball in her direction as they played a lively game of catch. Lucy smiled warmly at the scene, hoping that one day she would have the chance to do such a thing with _her_ son. Will and her had opted to keep the genders of the pups confidential, so the only thing they had specifically about their pups at the moment was how many Lucy was carrying, which had turned out to be three. Amongst her daydreaming, Lucy's right ear flicked abruptly in the direction of the front door as the doorbell rung loudly in the hallway. Judy quickly held up a paw as she saw her sister-in-law start to stir from the chair.

"I've got it, Lu." She reassured her, much to the vixen's chagrin as she huffed, crossing her arms and sinking back down into the chair.

Approaching the door, Judy wasted no time in opening up the oak door as wide as it would go, though the mammal behind the door was the last one she had expected. Huffing and puffing like he was having an asthma attack, Clawhauser stood with one paw propped against the side wall. Glancing up for the split second, his eyes lit up in recognition.

"Judy! Hopps! Wilde? Whatever…Chief…Bogo….needs us….at….the….ZPD!" He huffed out as best as he could. Judy's violet eyes widened. The gruff buffalo hardly ever held emergency meetings, and the few times he did did not signify a happy result for the officers of the police force.

"Are you sure? And how'd you know to come here?" She asked frantically, glancing around for a sign of a police cruiser but there was none in sight.

"Nick…was…..talking…about…picking…up…..his….sister….from….her….." He started, but Judy hushed.

"Ugh, I get enough of this kind of talk at the DMV, never mind!" She snapped before telling him to wait here and sprinted back up the steps and bursting into the room. Lucy looked up in surprise at such a quick entrance.

"Judy, what's going o-" She started to ask, but the rabbit cut her off as she turned to her husband.

"Nick, get your stuff. We have to go. Now." She said. The red fox looked at her in confusion.

"What? Why?" He argued.

"We just have to. Come on." She looked to Lucy for a split second. "Sorry, Lu. We'll be back later." She promised before darting out the door again. Nick gave a curt nod to both his mother and sister before following his distressed partner out of the house. As he passed through the doorway, a small but curvy ocelot nodded to him in greeting before passing into the room. Upon laying eyes on the heavily pregnant vixen sitting in the corner, the small cat beamed.

"Hey, there's the vixen of the hour!" She exclaimed excitedly. Lucy rolled her eyes and a small smirk spread across her cheeks.

"Stop it, Liv. You're making my blood pressure rise to dangerous levels." She joked.

Lucy had made a point to tell Olivia and Allie about her news not long after she had given it to Will's family, and just as everyone else had been, the two squealed with excitement and babbled for hours about baby stories and pointers.

"Oh I'm sure I'm not the only one as of late." The ocelot replied with a saucy wink, implying something far beyond what Lucy had volunteered to anyone. Lucy scoffed and blushed heavily as she eyed her mother's rapid glance of shock as she continued to construct one of the cribs a few feet away.

"Totally _not_ appropriate." She said through gritted teeth. Olivia giggled.

"Whatever you say, Lu. It's not like Mrs. W. hasn't had her share of _wilde_ times. Otherwise you and Nick wouldn't exist." She said, trying to insinuate a rather crude and ill-executed pun. At this, the elder vixen scoffed just as her daughter did.

"Those times have far passed me by, Miss Patterson." Jane replied eloquently. Olivia rolled her eyes playfully before Lucy decided to return to jabs of mockery.

"Speaking of wild times, how are you and Finnick getting along?" Lucy said with a highly arched brow. Olivia sighed dreamily, leaning her side against Lucy's chair.

"He just put down the first payment on our apartment. He's _such_ a hard worker!" The ocelot gushed, her large brown eyes staring off into the distance as if her lover was just past the room.

Finnick and Olivia had begun dating not long after the wedding, and much to Nick and Lucy's surprise the two had become stronger as time went on. Finnick had dropped his conman ways and had sought honest work, finding it as a bouncer to a local Rodentia bar. As much as they were one of the strangest interspecies couples the city had seen, the two coincided well and at times acted as if they had known each other way longer than they actually had.

"You are such a hopeless romantic." Lucy said, crossing her arms as best she could.

"Look at you, stating the obvious! It's almost like you don't know me anymore!" Olivia exclaimed dramatically. At this, Jane tweaked the last bolt into place and stood up.

"Well Lucille darling, I'm going to go for a little nap in the guestroom. Enjoy your 'girl time'." The elder vixen announced, and the two younger mammals said their according goodbyes as she exited the baby room.

Jane and Lucy had become quite accustomed to each other over the last few weeks, and though Jane had been scheduled to leave soon, she had asked to extend her stay for the second time. Lucy had unwaveringly welcomed her, though Nick's suspicion about his mother's sudden contact with them grew with every time she pleaded for a longer stay to his younger, naïve sister. However, for her sake and her sake only, he kept quiet.

As soon as Jane was out of sight, Olivia beamed.

"Oh I can't believe they're going to be here any _minute_ now!" She babbled with a lot more enthusiasm, doing little dance in a circle. Lucy giggled.

"What's wrong with you, Liv? You hate kids." The vixen inquired for the millionth time.

"Uh, because they're _yours._ Duh, silly." The ocelot replied effortlessly. Before she could usher a reply, the young mammal squealed again. "We should totally write them a song!"

"Olivia, you're going to find any and all reason to write a song." Lucy retorted. Olivia's face fell, and her eyes dropped to the floor slowly.

"Well, yeah I…I haven't wrote one in a while. _We_ haven't wrote one in a while….." The ocelot said in a much softer tone. Lucy watched her friend as she began to twiddle her paws. "With Allie buying her studio loft and Will and you getting a house out of downtown, I…..I've missed Cadence."

Lucy's expression drooped sympathetically as she realized the heaviness of what her best friend was saying. She looked down to observe her swollen belly, and cupped a tender paw over the dome.

"We talked about this, Liv…" Lucy replied, slowly lifting her gaze to meet the ocelot's. "I'm sorry that…..priorities have gotten in the way." Lucy said, stroking her own belly as Olivia stayed quiet. The two fell into a stalemate, with neither one saying another word to the other but remaining in the same room.

Lucy sighed before staring out of the window again. The sun had set almost completely, and the hazy dusk had set in with barely enough light to work with. There was almost no vehicles on the street, save for a funny-looking van, from which Lucy assumed were exterminators of some sort judging by the grotesque symbol spraypainted on the side. Regardless, it was a most peaceful scene as the two sat in silence for a long time, reflecting on what had been said.

 **Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

"Jenkins, roll tape."

The gruff order of the Zootopia Police Department's Chief sent a chill down Judy's spine. The tone was morose, and terrifying. Sitting next to her, Nick rested perfectly still with his paws neatly clasped on the desk in front of him.

The entire department was packed into the bull room, with very little maneuverability space. What had inspired the buffalo to order such a meeting this late in the evening was beyond anyone's guess. Though, when the tape finally had buffered enough and spat the vicious film that followed, their guts instantly knew.

 _What played was what should have been a standard scouting routine, the dash camera pointed directly at the road in front of the police cruiser. There was chatter back and forth, and Judy recognized the voices as Officers Mendera and Henderson, who Judy had collaborated with several times. Both highly smart but amongst the youngest in the department, the zebra and the lion were both part-time students at ZU, hoping to earn their certification in paramedic school._

 _Suddenly, they took a sharp left and flipped their lights and siren on, presumably after they had gotten a radio-in of a distress scene just three miles from them. Upon arriving at the location, the camera switched to Mendera's body cam, which was situated firmly on his left pectoral._

 _Before them lay a scene of absolute carnage. Blood streaked the sidewalk every which way, making a sort of grotesque display. There were snarls and squeals in the near vicinity, and as Henderson cautiously moved forward he urged Mendera to flank him to the left, to which the body camera angled towards a shop. The windows had been shattered, the glitter of glass sparkling in the police cruiser's headlights as the two officers approached the darkened building. There was a mass of something laying halfway in and out of the doorway, and upon further investigation Mendera expressed his disgust in discovering it to be a weasel, who had been twisted and thrown every which way amidst the rubble. His neck was bent at an odd angle and his eyes were wide, glassed over in terror, leading both officers to mumble their fears of a homicide._

 _Upon further advancement into the dark remains of the shop, two cones of descending light suddenly illuminated the ground near their feet as Mendera and Henderson both flipped on their flashlights._

 _"Hello? Officers Mendera and Henderson, ZPD. Does anyone hear me?" Henderson called out, the camera briefly panning towards the burly lion. The answer they received was a gurgle of sorts, and Henderson locked glances with Mendera for a moment before jutting two fingers forward to encourage an ambush on the source of the sound. Though hesitant at first, both cops proceeded forward, with Henderson continuing to speak to encourage more sound._

 _"This is the ZPD. We're here to help you. Are you hurt?" He called out, and then another gurgle. The sound became louder and louder, and both officers aimed their flashlights at a mass against the wall, which squirmed and writhed amongst itself. After several painstaking moments, Henderson spoke again._

 _"You there. We're here to he-"_

 _A sudden snarl, a growl, and a scream all seemed to explode all at once, and the body camera's resolution turned to a digitized mess as Mendera's composure was lost. In what was a heated thirty seconds of intense struggle and growls, the camera ended up pointed at the ceiling, illuminated only partially by a discarded flashlight as well. The shadows of something thrashed in the corner of the screen, and the sickening sounds of claws ripping clothes and fur and the muffled groans and yells of the officers were enough to make anyone's skin crawl._

Judy had since grabbed Nick's paw and was squeezing it with every ounce of her muscle, though the fox did not pay much mind as he was too engrossed in what was playing out before him.

 _For a moment, a creature with blood-red eyes met the camera's lens, glaring down on it menacingly before smacking it off into the corner, enveloping the film in impeding darkness._

 _*CLICK*_

The department stirred ever so slightly and groaned the video was cut off and the lights returned, making many of the prey animals present blink and squint their eyes for a moment. Chief Bogo had since migrated to the front of the room, his hooves firmly clasped behind his back as he glared at the group.

"This body cam footage was retrieved as of four hours ago. Officers Mendera and Henderson were rushed to ZH shortly after this video was filmed." He explained. "They are both in critical condition and on life support." He gestured to the screen, which he had rewound to the only frame that capture the assailant(s). The nasty glare of the creature seemed to bore into the souls of anyone who dared to stare too long. " _This._ This is our new enemy, ladies and gents. This is the new face of our adversaries. While we still have yet to uncover what this all means, _anything_ is possible." He said, locking eyes with Judy for a moment during his sweep of the room before straightening up again.

"Therefore, until further notice by the Mayor and I, we are placing all law enforcement on Code 9. High alert. It will remain this way until we catch those responsible for these heinous acts, which include the happenings of Officers Mendera and Henderson." A small gasp erupted from the back of the room, and almost every officer turned to look at Officer Francis, who had produced it.

"Chief, you don't mean to say that…..they're still out there?" He answered. Bogo sighed.

"Yes, Officer, they are. All of them are." Another collective gasp, and this time Judy piped up.

"There….there was more than one?" She inquired in absolute shock. She felt a small squeeze of her paw beneath the table, and she realized that her paw was still firmly clasped in her partner's. However, he didn't seem to mind as he shot a sympathetic glance in her direction.

"According to Mendera's account before he slipped out of consciousness, there were _four_ perpetrators. And all had the same underlying condition." Bogo explained.

"Do we know anything about them? What did they look like? What species were they?" Officer Saebra asked. There was an eruption of frantic questions, until the Chief slammed his fist onto the podium.

"SILENCE!" He barked. The room followed suit.

"We know nothing more at this point. We ask that all of you remain on high alert, and report anything, and I mean _anything ,_ to me or the Mayor as soon as possible." The buffalo ordered firmly. "Do I make myself _CLEAR?_ "

There were soft mumbles of agreement and nods of heads before the calloused prey ushered a curt nod.

"Dismissed." He announced.

 **Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

"How could this happen _again?_ It's like somebody just wants to see this city burn." Judy exclaimed as her husband and she walked back in the direction of their abode. It was as tense as ever, the two highly respected officers remaining uncomfortable and deeply shaken by what they had fallen privy to. Despite that the two had decided to talk it out, both secretly hoping that it would take the edge off of the whole ordeal.

"I don't know. All I know is, is if this is anything like the Nighthowler case, this is going to be hell." Nick said matter-of-factly. Judy shook her head.

"What if it isn't? What if this is entirely new, something we have never heard of before?" She inquired. Nick shook his head.

"I don't know, Carrots. That's what unsettles me the most." He said. Judy watched his emerald orbs fall to the sidewalk, the fox shoving his paws into the pockets of his khakis as they continued to walk along the lamp-lit path. She suddenly remembered something, and in a weak attempt to lighten the atmosphere she spoke again.

"You know Nick, we never did go back and finish those cribs for Lucy. I bet she's worried sick." The rabbit pointed out, giving a bitter-sweet grin. Nick squeezed his eyes shut, releasing a groan.

"Lucy. How on earth are we going to tell Lucy? And Will for that matter. Or Mom….." He mumbled, placing one paw on the side of his face and rubbing his temple.

"We don't. Like we always have." Judy replied, furrowing her brows in determination. Nick shook his head, giving an exhausted chuckle.

"Easy for you to say, Cottontail. You've got your parents, aunts, uncles…..two hundred seventy five siblings, for pete's sake." Nick pointed out. "I mean, what if this thing turns out to be more than we can handle and it infects _us?_ Lucy and Mom….they're….they're all I've got." Nick explained, his gaze shifting downwards again. This time though, he felt Judy's head bury itself into the crook of his neck, her small, curvaceous build pressing against him comfortingly.

"And me." Judy added. Nick's muzzle slowly spread into a smile as he hugged her close.

"I'll always have you, Carrots." He said affectionately, and the young rabbit closed her eyes and soaked in the moment. The two had scarcely been intimate since their brutal discovery a few weeks back, and while it had taken a toll on them, Judy could feel the small breaths of life return to their relationship with each close encounter thereafter. After several moments she shoved away gently, placing a paw on Nick's shoulderblade.

"Come on, Foxy. Time to go home." She said in almost a whisper, but Nick was quick to retort.

"Hoooold on there, Cottontail, that's unprecedented." He said, and Judy began to exert the giggle that was creeping up her throat. " _I'm_ the one who gives nicknames around here, and _that_ one is strictly reserved for Lu." He bossed jokingly, and the two suddenly forgot about the situation at hand, even if it was just for a moment.

"I dunno, I figured since you were twins and all, you wouldn't mind…." Judy explained, a mischievous grin spreading across her face. She eyed Nick's expression change, and judging by what it was slowly turning into she was about to regret her statement.

"Okay, first off…." Nick began as the two continued on down the path into the night, letting their anxiety melt away with each passing step. And slowly but surely, the impeding darkness that was closing in on them was pushed away just for a short while, waiting for its chance to strike again.

 **Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

 **Alright, alright, alright! That's some good stuff right there! I hope you enjoyed this chapter and please leave me your thoughts and feelings on it. Please note that the farther this story goes along, the darker and more complex it's going to get for the storyline and the characters, so please be forewarned. Thank you so much for reading and catch you all next time!**

 **Sincere thanks,**

 **AleahLondon1987**


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